ASSOCIATION BETWEEN VISCERAL FAT, LIPID PEROXIDATION, AND ANTIOXIDANT STATUS IN PREDIABETIC INDIVIDUALS

Background: Prediabetes, which is often linked to central adiposity and oxidative stress, is a high-risk state for the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to assess the relationship between oxidative stress indicators and visceral adiposity in prediabetic individuals in comparison to normoglycemic controls. Methods: A cross-sectional case-control study was carried out on 96 people with prediabetes and 96 controls who were matched for age and sex. Malondialdehyde [MDA], total antioxidant status [TAOS], and redox ratio [RR] were biochemical indicators of oxidative stress, and anthropometric measures (height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and visceral fat percentage) were examined. Pearson's correlation was used to evaluate the relationships between visceral fat and biochemical markers, and independent two-sample t-tests were used to examine differences between groups. Results: Participants with prediabetes had significantly higher visceral fat percentage (t = –13.39, p < 0.0001), waist circumference (t = –3.29, p = 0.0012), waist-to-hip ratio (t = –3.06, p = 0.0025), and BMI (t = –3.95, p < 0.001) than controls. The prediabetic group had significantly lower TAOS (t = 39.82, p < 0.0001) and higher MDA (t = –10.71, p < 0.0001) and RR (t = 51.89, p < 0.0001), according to biochemical tests. Visceral fat had a negative correlation with TAOS (r = –0.676, p < 0.001) and RR (r = –0.683, p < 0.001) and a positive correlation with MDA (r = 0.590, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The manifestations of prediabetes include increased lipid peroxidation, decreased antioxidant defense, and increased visceral adiposity. A major molecular element in the progression from prediabetes to overt diabetes is central obesity, as seen by the substantial associations found between visceral fat and redox imbalance. Effective preventive measures could include focusing on oxidative stress reduction and visceral fat reduction.