Background: Weight loss, which is an effective method for reducing visceral fat, may cause a concomitant loss of skeletal muscle mass. The aim of this study was to elucidate the changes in visceral fat and skeletal muscle mass in response to diabetes treatment including weight control.
Methods: For 6 months we observed the changes in the body compositions of 72 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent multifaceted treatment including educational hospitalization. Visceral fat area (VFA) and appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) were measured using a bioelectrical impedance method and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, respectively.
Results: During the follow-up period, VFA reduced significantly whereas the average ASM did not change. Changes in ASM were strongly positively associated with changes in body weight (r = 0.50). Additionally, in an analysis of covariance, an above-median BMI (27 kg/m2) and above-median VFA (110 cm2) at baseline were found to be independent predictors of ASM reduction prevention. Of the 55 patients who lost weight, those who had a baseline VFA of ≥110 cm2 had significantly greater reductions in VFA than those with a baseline VFA of <110 cm2 (p < 0.01). ASM reduced significantly in patients with a VFA of <110 cm2 (p < 0.01), but not in those with a VFA of ≥110 cm2 (p = 0.98).
Conclusions: Baseline accumulation of visceral fat may predict a preferential reduction of visceral fat rather than skeletal muscle during weight control programs in type 2 diabetes patients.
Keywords: Skeletal muscle mass; Type 2 diabetes; Visceral fat; Weight loss.