Increased Fat Mass In Lower Body Could Protect You Against Heart Diseases And Diabetes

Increased fat mass in the lower body could offer protection against type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, according to new research.

The experts at the University Hospital of Tübingen and the Boston Children's Hospital explain why and to what extent a large hip circumference- which indicates increased fat mass in the lower part of the body protects against heart diseases and type 2 diabetes.

The researchers also highlighted that a high amount of fat mass in the hips and legs is vital to retain metabolic health. Moreover, they discuss lifestyle modifications and pharmacological interventions that improve body fat distribution throughout the body, and focus on lower body fat mass could help clinicians assess the risk of these diseases in patient communities.

The elevated fat mass has been considered an important risk factor for several lifestyle diseases worldwide including cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. But for a given fat mass, there is a large variability in the risk of these diseases.

For instance, some individuals who are lean unexpectedly have a risk of heart diseases or type 2 diabetes that is usually observed in obese people. What they both have in common is an increased upper body and particularly, elevated visceral fat mass. And as a result, the upper body density has always been the focus.

Comparisons to rare diseases like lipodystrophy- dramatic rarefication of fat mass underneath the skin and genetic studies have revealed that it is the impaired ability to expand fat in the lower part of the body that could lead to the incidence of these diseases.

Here’s what the study highlighted:

• Mechanisms that result in energy storage in various fat depots of the body- ectopically as well as in organs including the heart, liver, pancreas, etc.
• Studies revealing the extent to which measuring fat in the lower body can help estimate the risk of heart diseases and type 2 diabetes.
• A low amount of estimated visceral fat alongside a high amount of lower body fat might be equally important to retain heart health.

The researchers also explained the mechanisms that might drive a dramatic re-distribution of fat from the lower body to the upper body during the aging process.

They also recommend strategies like lifestyle changes, pharmacological treatment in diseases linked to disproportionate fat distribution to help hinder fat-redistribution.