Photo Credit: Yaroslav Astakhov

The following is a summary of “Association Between Insulin Resistance and Myosteatosis Measured by Abdominal Computed Tomography,” published in the December 2023 issue of Endocrinology by Kim, et al.

Myosteatosis, characterized by the accumulation of ectopic fat within skeletal muscles, plays a pivotal role in developing insulin resistance, a precursor to conditions like diabetes. For a study, researchers sought to discern the relationship between insulin resistance, quantified by the Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), and myosteatosis.

The study encompassed 18,251 participants who underwent abdominal computed tomography scans. These individuals were segmented into four distinct groups based on their HOMA-IR quartiles. Various parameters were analyzed, including the total abdominal muscle area (TAMA) at the L3 vertebral level. The TAMA was further delineated into normal-attenuation muscle area (NAMA), low-attenuation muscle area (LAMA), and intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT). Myosteatosis indices were gauged using absolute values and specific ratios related to BMI.

Across increasing HOMA-IR quartiles, there was a discernible escalation in absolute values of TAMA, NAMA, LAMA, and IMAT, along with an analogous rise in the LAMA/BMI ratio. Conversely, both NAMA/BMI and NAMA/TAMA indices exhibited a declining trajectory with ascending HOMA-IR levels. When juxtaposed with the lowest HOMA-IR quartile, the highest quartile showcased a notable decrease in the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for NAMA/BMI and NAMA/TAMA indices. For instance, the adjusted ORs (95% CI) for the lowest NAMA/TAMA quartile in the highest HOMA-IR group were 0.414 (0.364-0.471) for men and 0.464 (0.384-0.562) for women. Furthermore, statistically significant negative correlations were observed between HOMA-IR and both NAMA/BMI and NAMA/TAMA indices, whereas a positive correlation was evident with LAMA/BMI for both genders (P < .001 for all correlations).

The investigation underscored a compelling association between elevated HOMA-IR levels and heightened myosteatosis risk, emphasizing the significance of monitoring and managing insulin resistance to potentially mitigate associated myosteatosis in the population studied.

Source: academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/108/12/3100/7218758?redirectedFrom=fulltext