subcutaneous fat tagged posts

Why Belly Fat is Dangerous for the Heart

Know your risks for metabolic syndrome. Credit: Image courtesy of American College of Cardiology

Know your risks for metabolic syndrome. Credit: Image courtesy of American College of Cardiology

Increasing stomach fat – especially the “hidden fat” in your abdomen – is associated with newly identified and worsening heart disease risk factors, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. These adverse changes in cardiovascular risk were evident over a relatively short period of time and persisted even after accounting for changes in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, two commonly used methods to estimate whether someone is a healthy weight or not.

Previous studies have shown that people who carry excess abdominal fat around their midsection -“spare tire”- tend to face higher risks of heart disease compared to people who have fat elsewhe...

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Why is Visceral Fat Worse than Subcutaneous Fat?

Model for the regulation of visceral fat ER stress in obesity.

Model for the regulation of visceral fat ER stress in obesity. Induction of TRIP-Br2 and GATA3 during obesity via ER stress is critical for the visceral fat proinflammatory responses.

Researchers have long-known that visceral fat (which wraps around the internal organs) is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat (under the skin). But how visceral fat contributes to insulin resistance and inflammation has remained unknown. A study points blame at a regulatory molecule in cells called TRIP-Br2 that is produced in response to overeating’s stress on the machinery cells use to produce proteins.

In previous studies, in obese humans TRIP-Br2 was turned-up in visceral fat but not in subcutaneous fat...

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