Liver Fat May Predict Metabolic Syndrome
Abdominal Fat Predicts Onset of Many Chronic Diseases
Aug 25, 2009
For several years, researchers have noted that 'apple shaped' people, who tend to collect body fat around the abdomen, appear to have a higher chance of developing metabolic disorders such as Type II Diabetes (adult onset diabetes) than 'pear shaped' people, who collect fat on the hips and thighs but maintain a relatively slim waistline. People with larger waistlines also appeared to have elevated triglycerides in the blood stream. New research from Washington University School of Medicine identifies fat collecting in the liver as the culprit.
Research Identifies Liver Fat as Predictor of Chronic Illness
The press release issued by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis quotes Samuel Klein, M.D. and Elissa Fabrinni, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the study, as stating that visceral fat (belly fat) tracks closely with liver fat, which is probably why the correlation between belly fat and metabolic disorders and high triglycerides exists. While assessing risk based on pear or apple shapes may appear simplistic, it may be realistic; people with big bellies (more abdominal fat) are also likely to have fat collecting in the liver.
The study compared two groups of obese people. The first group had elevated amounts of liver fat. The second group had normal amounts. Obesity is typically defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) great than 30. The two groups were carefully matched to compare age, gender, BMI and percent of body fat. After the subjects were tracked over time, the group with elevated liver fat demonstrated a greater propensity for metabolic disorders, especially heart disease and diabetes than the group with normal liver fat.
The Link Between Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Heart Disease and Type II Diabetes
Fat that accumulates in the liver causes a condition called non alcoholic fatty liver disease. The Mayo Clinic was the first hospital to identify this condition. The liver seems to have difficulty breaking down fats, and they accumulate on the liver itself. Over time, this can lead to metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, high triglycerides, and Type II diabetes. In many patients, high blood pressure and heart disease accompany metabolic syndrome, leading to chronic illness. The dialogue among the pancreas (which produces insulin), the muscle and fat tissue, and the liver appears altered by these changes, resulting in diabetes and heart disease.
"We don't know exactly why some fats, particularly triglycerides, will accumulate inside the liver and muscle in some people but not in others," says Dr. Fabbrini, assistant professor of medicine. "But our data suggest that a protein called CD36, which controls the transport of fatty acids from the bloodstream into different tissues, is involved."
Fabbrini and Klein believe that changes in CD36 may divert fatty acids away from the body's fat tissues and into the muscle tissues, where they are changed into triglycerides.
Reducing Fatty Liver Disease and Risk
Although the research sounds gloomy, there's quite a bit of hope for those who may be at risk for fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and related chronic illnesses. Even the slightest reduction in body fat, Klein and colleagues report, reduces the risk of developing diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
"Fatty liver disease is completely reversible," Klein says. "If you lose a small amount of weight, you can markedly reduce the fat content in your liver. In fact, even two days of calorie restriction can cause a large reduction in liver fat and improvement in liver insulin sensitivity."
To reduce the risk of developing insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, elevated triglycerides and type II diabetes, other experts recommend that people see a nutritionist or develop a diet based on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Begin exercising and increase activity levels. Even a simple 15 minute a day walk can be expanded by a few minutes every day to increase movement. Stop smoking, and see a physician for a comprehensive physical examination. Above all, losing weight, even a little bit of weight, can reduce risk quickly according to the researchers in the study. And that's reason enough to swap unhealthy habits for healthy habits.
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