Association between dietary fat intake, liver fat, and insulin sensitivity in sedentary, abdominally obese, older men

• Published in: Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism Vol. 33; no. 2; pp. 239 - 245
• Main Authors: Kuk, Jennifer L, Davidson, Lance E, Hudson, Robert, Kilpatrick, Katherine, Bacskai, Kinga, Ross, Robert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canada 01.04.2008
• Subjects: Abdominal Fat - physiology; Adiposity - physiology; Aged; alcohol; alcool; Anthropometry; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Body Composition - physiology; computed tomography; Diet; Dietary Fats - pharmacology; Humans; Insulin Resistance - physiology; Life Style; Liver - physiology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Obesity - physiopathology; tissu adipeux viscéral; tomodensitométrie; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; visceral adipose tissue
• ISSN: 1715-5312; 1715-5320
• DOI: 10.1139/H07-179

Whether dietary fat influences the interaction between liver fat, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and metabolic risk is unclear. Thus, we sought to determine the independent associations between 1 and 10 d dietary fat intake, liver fat, and VAT on insulin sensitivity using a cross-sectional design. Liver fat score (LFS) was assessed by computed tomography and VAT by magnetic resonance imaging in 42 abdominally obese older men. Insulin sensitivity was measured by the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp technique. Diet composition was determined from self-recorded diet records for 1 and 10 d preceding the assessment of LFS. LFS was positively associated with the 10 d average fat and alcohol intake, but not with any 1 d average dietary variables. VAT (r = -0.36) and LFS (r = -0.32) were both negatively correlated with insulin sensitivity (p < 0.05). When LFS and VAT were entered in the same model, only VAT was an independent predictor of insulin sensitivity (p < 0.05). Control for the average 10 d alcohol consumption and fat intake improved the association between insulin sensitivity and LFS (from r = -0.32, p > 0.10 to r = -0.49, p < 0.05), but not VAT. In fact, after control for the 10 d dietary variables, both LFS and VAT were independent predictors of insulin sensitivity (p < 0.05). This was not true for any of the 1 d dietary intake variables. In conclusion, liver fat is associated with dietary fat intake and alcohol consumption over 10 d, but not 1 d. Furthermore, dietary habits may influence the relationship between liver fat and insulin sensitivity.