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Horm Metab Res 1999; 31(7): 415-417
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-978765
Originals Clinical

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Insulin Sensitivity Measured With the Minimal Model is Higher in Moderately Overweight Women With Predominantly Lower Body Fat

E. Raynaud1 , 2 , A. Pérez-Martin1 , J. F. Brun1 , C. Fédou1 , J. Mercier1
  • 1CERAMM (Centre d'Exploration et de Réadaptation des Anomalies Métaboliques et Musculaires), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montpellier, Hôpital Lapeyronie, Montpellier, France
  • 2Laboratoire de Biochimie Clinique, Faculté de Pharmacie, Montpellier, France
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Publication History

1998

1999

Publication Date:
20 April 2007 (online)

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Lower-body obesity is associated with a lower incidence of diabetes and high values of HDL2 cholesterol and thus seems to have a metabolic profile opposite to upper-body obesity. We measured insulin sensitivity by the minimal model procedure in 20 lower-body overweight women (age 40.3 ± 2.3 years, waist-to-hip ratio WHR 0.75 ± 0.01, body mass index BMI 29.9 ± 0.7 kg/m2), compared to 18 women with a similar degree of upper-body obesity (age 40.4 ± 3 years, WHR 0.91 ± 0.02, BMI 29.4 ± 0.7 kg/m2) and 28 control women matched for age and height. Insulin sensitivity and basal insulin effect were higher in lower-body obesity (11.2 ± 0.2 min-1/[µU/ml] × 10-4 and 0.8 ± 0.2 min-1 × 10-2, respectively) compared to upper-body obesity (2.6 ± 0.4, p < 0.001 and 0.3 ± 0.05, p < 0.01) and controls (6.1 ± 0.7, p < 0.02 and 0.5 ± 0.07, p < 0.02). It is suggested that lower-body obesity could be associated with a reduced free fatty acids-induced inhibition of insulin action by the Randle mechanism. This study confirms that body fat distribution is a more relevant determinant than obesity itself in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. Contrary to upper-body obesity, moderate lower-body overweight seems to be associated with high values on insulin sensitivity.

Key words

Lower-Body Obesity - Insulin Resistance - Minimal Model - Randle Cycle - Cardiovascular Risk

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