fat deposition in the muscles a significant factor that predisposes women to cardiovascular disease?

ABSTRACT

To determine if fat deposition within mid-thigh muscles represented by low density lean tissue was associated with age, menopausal status, visceral adiposity, hyperleptinemia, hyperinsulinemia and dyslipidemia in a relatively cohort group of women. Eighty women aged 28-63 years with a body mass index [BMI] < 40 kg/ m[2]. Mid-thigh muscle, mid-thigh fat, low density lean tissue, intra-abdominal adipose tissue [IAAT] and subcutaneous abdominal fat [with Computed Tomography], plasma insulin and leptin [with radioimmunoassay, RIA] and lipoprotein lipid profiles [with enzymatic methods]. IAAT increased with age [r= 0.69, p<0.000] also subcutaneous adipose tissue increase with age [r= 0.58, p<0.001]. Mid-thigh total fat and low density lean tissue increased with age [r= 0.53 and r= 0.59 both p<0.001] in contrast, mid-thigh muscle area decreased with age [r= 0.62, p<0.001]. Premenopausal women had lower plasma leptin and glucose levels than post-menopausal women [p<0.001], while mid-thigh low density lean tissue was significantly associated with higher leptin level [r= 0.44, p<0.001] and insulin level [r= 0.34, p<0.005]. Mid-thigh low density tissue correlated with plasma levels of total cholesterol, LDL-C and triglycerides [r= 0.5, 0.53, 0.41 and all p<0.001]. There was no significant correlation between mid-thigh low density lean tissue and HDL-C. Mid-thigh low density lean tissue is directly related to age and adiposity. Furthermore, it appears that fat accumulation in skeletal muscle adversely influences plasma insulin and lipoprotein metabolism in women, but not independently of total adiposity and age