Abstract #0750

Pancreatic and Hepatic Fat and Associated Metabolic Complications in Overweight Youth

Catriona A. Syme¹, Greg D. Wells^1,2, Garry Detzler¹, Hai-Ling Margaret Cheng^1,2, Mike D. Noseworthy^3,4, Timo Schirmer⁵, Brian W. McCrindle,^2,6, Jill Hamilton,²⁷

¹Physiology & Experimental Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; ²University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; ³Electrical and Computer Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; ⁴Brain-Body Institute, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada; ⁵Applied Science Laboratory, GE Healthcare, Munich, Germany; ⁶Cardiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; ⁷Endocrinology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

In overweight youth, pancreatic and hepatic fat (PF and HF) were estimated from in- and out-of-phase MRI, and associations with metabolic parameters were assessed. Both showed positive correlations with triglycerides and insulin resistance and secretion. HF did not correlate with liver enzymes, suggesting its early accumulation may influence glucose metabolism before elevation of hepatic transaminases. Lack of associations between intra-abdominal fat or body mass index z-score and these metabolic parameters highlight the importance of fat distribution rather than fat quantity alone. The current study reveals the potential to index simultaneously ectopic fat in two organs important for glucose and lipid metabolism.