Abdominal Adipose Tissue Distribution: Regional Differences

Min-Hui Cui¹, Jong Hee Hwang¹, Vlad Tomuta¹, Daniel T. Stein¹

Fifty-eight non-diabetic subjects with a wide range of BMI were studied to evaluate the regional differences of SAT and VAT distribution and the correlations of them with intrahepatic lipid, plasma triglyceride, glucose and FFA levels. Both lean and overweight/obese subjects have most SAT in lower abdomen. However, lean subjects have more VAT while overweight/obese subjects have less VAT in lower abdomen. The relationships between SAT and VAT from different abdominal regions in the lean and overweight/obese subjects with IHL, TG and glucose are also different. Thus conclusions based on one specific AT region should be interpreted with cautions.