Should visceral fat be reduced to increase longevity?
Carmine Finelli1, Luigi Sommella, Saverio Gioia
1Center of Obesity and Eating Disorders, Stella Maris Mediterraneum Foundation, Chiaromonte, Potenza, Italy.
Ageing Research Reviews
|June 15, 2013
Summary
Visceral fat, unlike subcutaneous fat, is a key risk factor for chronic diseases and reduced longevity. Reducing visceral fat may be a strategy to prevent age-related diseases and increase lifespan.
Area of Science:
- Metabolic health and aging research.
- Epidemiology and disease risk factors.
Background:
- Epidemiologic studies link visceral fat accumulation to major health risks including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and metabolic syndrome.
- Visceral obesity is increasingly recognized as a significant factor in mortality and reduced longevity.
- Subcutaneous fat accumulation does not appear to be a significant contributor to disease risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal relationship between visceral fat and longevity.
- To highlight the role of visceral fat reduction as a potential therapeutic strategy for age-related diseases.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing novel models of visceral obesity.
- Analyzing epidemiologic data linking fat distribution to health outcomes.
Main Results:
- The relationship between visceral fat and longevity is demonstrated to be causal.
- Subcutaneous fat accrual shows no significant role in the etiology of disease risk.
Conclusions:
- Reducing visceral fat is a potential treatment strategy to prevent or delay age-related diseases.
- Targeting visceral fat may increase longevity and improve overall health outcomes.
Keywords:
11β HSD-111β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1BMIC-reactive proteinCRCRPCVDGHIL-6LongevityMCP-1MetSMetabolic syndromeObesityT2DMTNF-αVisceral fatbody mass indexcalorie restrictioncardiovascular diseasegrowth hormoneinterleukin-6metabolic syndromemonocyte chemoattractant protein-1tumor necrosis factor-αtype 2 diabetes
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