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Updated: May 21, 2026

Decellularization-Based Quantification of Skeletal Muscle Fatty Infiltration
Published on: June 9, 2023
Femoral-gluteal adiposity is not associated with insulin sensitivity in type 1 diabetes
C M Shay1, A M Secrest, R G Miller
1Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. christina-shay@ouhsc.edu
Aims:
To quantify and compare associations between femoral-gluteal adiposity and insulin sensitivity in adults with Type 1 diabetes mellitus with adults with normal glucose tolerance.
Methods:
Individuals with Type 1 diabetes (n = 28) were recruited from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complication study, a 24-year prospective study of childhood-onset diabetes, and compared cross-sectionally with individuals with normal glucose tolerance (n = 56) of similar age, sex and BMI. Insulin sensitivity was defined as whole-body glucose disposal measured by hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamps. Adiposity was quantified by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.
Results:
Individuals with Type 1 diabetes exhibited lower insulin sensitivity (5.8 vs. 8.2 mg min(-1) kg fat-free mass(-1), P < 0.01), lower total fat mass (20.1 vs. 29.0 kg, P < 0.001) and lower proportional leg fat mass (36.0 vs.37.7%, P = 0.03), but similar proportional trunk fat (% trunk fat mass) compared with individuals with normal glucose tolerance. Overall, results from linear regression demonstrated that higher % leg fat mass (P < 0.01) and lower % trunk fat mass (P < 0.01) were independently associated with lower insulin sensitivity after adjustments for age, sex, height, total fat mass (kg) and diabetes status. Higher % leg fat mass was independently associated with higher insulin sensitivity in individuals with normal glucose tolerance (P < 0.01) after similar adjustment; significant associations were not observed in Type 1 diabetes.
Conclusions:
Reduced insulin sensitivity is a prominent feature of Type 1 diabetes and is associated with total and abdominal adiposity. Compared with adults with normal glucose tolerance, leg fat mass does not show any positive association with insulin sensitivity in Type 1 diabetes.
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