Abstract
The widespread presence of overweight and obesity increases with every decade, and the number of people with body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m2 has doubled in the last 30 years. The aim of the study is to assess the correlation between MRI-evaluated ectopic fat accumulation in pancreas, skeletal muscles and liver and the incidence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension, depending on BMI and waist circumference ratio. This prospective study included 267 consecutive patients who were referred to abdominal MRI and underwent a standard clinical assessment with BMI and waist circumference ratio calculation. Ectopic fat accumulation in pancreas, skeletal muscles and liver was evaluated in magnetic resonance imaging using the fat-water separated Dixon imaging. There were statistically significant differences in mean steatosis of all assessed organs in the group of patients with type 2 diabetes or hypertension in comparison to the non-diabetic group as well as to the group without hypertension. It has been observed that pancreas and skeletal muscles are more susceptible to fat accumulation than liver. According to our results, there is a relation between the fat content in muscles, pancreas and liver, the incidence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension and also body mass index and waist circumference ratio. We believe that future studies should aim to determine whether the use of fat content measurement in certain organs could be used as a biomarker that can enable early detection of reversible metabolic changes, as well as their subsequent monitoring.
Highlights
The prevalence of overweight and obesity increases with every decade, and the number of people with body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m2 has doubled in the last 30 years [1, 2]
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) data, metabolic syndrome (MetS) can currently be found in approximately 20–25% of the adult population worldwide, and it is estimated that this group of people is three times more likely to develop a myocardial infarction or stroke compared to the rest of the population
It was found that the average steatosis of pancreas, muscles and liver in patients with normal BMI was 5.98%, 5.25% and 3.66% respectively, in overweight patients 9.36%, 7.56% and 5.88%, and in obese patients 11.69%, 10.93% and 8.26% (Table 1)
Summary
The prevalence of overweight and obesity increases with every decade, and the number of people with body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m2 has doubled in the last 30 years [1, 2]. MetS, which consists of at least three of the five abnormalities, that include diabetes or elevated fasting glucose level, central obesity, high triglyceride level (TG), decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (HDL) and high blood pressure, is a cluster of the most dangerous risk factors for myocardial infarction [5, 7,8,9,10]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) data, MetS can currently be found in approximately 20–25% of the adult population worldwide, and it is estimated that this group of people is three times more likely to develop a myocardial infarction or stroke compared to the rest of the population. People with MetS present a 5-fold higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) [7]. The incidence of diabetes is expected to double by 2025, and in 2030 diabetes will be the seventh cause of death in the world
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
