Association of visceral and subcutaneous fat with glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, adipocytokines and inflammatory markers in Asian Indians (CURES-113)

Objectives:The aim of the study was to assess the association between visceral and subcutaneous fat with glucose intolerance, adipocytokines, inflammatory markers and carotid IMT in Asian Indians.Design and methods:Subjects with NGT (n = 85), IGT (n = 49) and T2DM (n = 93) were randomly selected from CURES. Total abdominal, visceral and subcutaneous fat were measured using Helical CT scan. Adiponectin, hs-CRP, TNF-alpha, oxidized LDL, visfatin and leptin and IMT and insulin resistance were assessed.Results:Total abdominal fat (p = 0.041) and the visceral fat (p = 0.039) but not subcutaneous fat progressively increased from NGT, IGT and T2DM subjects. With increasing quartiles of visceral fat, there was a significant increase in insulin resistance (p = 0.040); significant decrease in adiponectin (p = 0.043) and increase in TNF-alpha (p = 0.028), hs-CRP (p = 0.043), OX-LDL (p = 0.034) and visfatin (p = 0.040), and carotid IMT (p = 0.047) was observed.Conclusion:Visceral fat levels increased with increasing glucose intolerance and are associated with decreased levels of adiponectin and increased levels of hs-CRP, TNF-alpha, oxidized LDL, visfatin, HOMA-IR and IMT.