Trouwborst I, Jardon KM, Gijbels A, Hul G, Feskens EJM, Afman LA, Linge J, Goossens GH, Blaak EE. Body composition and body fat distribution in tissue-specific insulin resistance and in response to a 12-week
isocaloric dietary macronutrient intervention.
Nutr Metab (Lond) 2024;
21:20. [PMID:
38594756 PMCID:
PMC11003022 DOI:
10.1186/s12986-024-00795-y]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Body composition and body fat distribution are important predictors of cardiometabolic diseases. The etiology of cardiometabolic diseases is heterogenous, and partly driven by inter-individual differences in tissue-specific insulin sensitivity.
OBJECTIVES
To investigate (1) the associations between body composition and whole-body, liver and muscle insulin sensitivity, and (2) changes in body composition and insulin sensitivity and their relationship after a 12-week isocaloric diet high in mono-unsaturated fatty acids (HMUFA) or a low-fat, high-protein, high-fiber (LFHP) diet.
METHODS
This subcohort analysis of the PERSON study includes 93 individuals (53% women, BMI 25-40 kg/m2, 40-75 years) who participated in this randomized intervention study. At baseline and after 12 weeks of following the LFHP, or HMUFA diet, we performed a 7-point oral glucose tolerance test to assess whole-body, liver, and muscle insulin sensitivity, and whole-body magnetic resonance imaging to determine body composition and body fat distribution. Both diets are within the guidelines of healthy nutrition.
RESULTS
At baseline, liver fat content was associated with worse liver insulin sensitivity (β [95%CI]; 0.12 [0.01; 0.22]). Only in women, thigh muscle fat content was inversely related to muscle insulin sensitivity (-0.27 [-0.48; -0.05]). Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was inversely associated with whole-body, liver, and muscle insulin sensitivity. Both diets decreased VAT, abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (aSAT), and liver fat, but not whole-body and tissue-specific insulin sensitivity with no differences between diets. Waist circumference, however, decreased more following the LFHP diet as compared to the HMUFA diet (-3.0 vs. -0.5 cm, respectively). After the LFHP but not HMUFA diet, improvements in body composition were positively associated with improvements in whole-body and liver insulin sensitivity.
CONCLUSIONS
Liver and muscle insulin sensitivity are distinctly associated with liver and muscle fat accumulation. Although both LFHP and HMUFA diets improved in body fat, VAT, aSAT, and liver fat, only LFHP-induced improvements in body composition are associated with improved insulin sensitivity.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
NCT03708419 (clinicaltrials.gov).
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