Cardiometabolic risks, visceral adiposity, and sarcopenia in prediabetic and diabetic women: insights from CT imaging

Abstract Background Obesity and metabolic syndrome are major health issues nowadays. These problems are linked to visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and sarcopenia (muscle loss). Investigating the connection between VAT and sarcopenia in women with prediabetes and recently diagnosed type 2 DM (T2D) was the aim of this study. Methods The study included 44 women aged 40–60 who were either prediabetic or had just been diagnosed with T2D and had not started treatment yet. Researchers used CT scans to quantify VAT and muscle mass, conducted medical tests, and looked at other metabolic risk factors. Results The study included 44 women with a mean age of 45.5 years: 34% had T2D and 66% were prediabetic. Hypertension was present in 38.6% of patients, and 65.9% met the criteria for metabolic syndrome. VAT volume was positively correlated with indicators of fatty liver, insulin resistance, and triglyceride levels. However, VAT volume did not significantly differ between participants with and without metabolic syndrome. Notably, muscle strength was lower among those with metabolic syndrome, although muscle mass did not differ substantially. Conclusion Cardiometabolic risk factors, including obesity, insulin resistance, and elevated triglycerides, are associated with increased visceral adiposity and reduced muscle strength, but not reduced muscle mass. These findings support the clinical utility of CT-derived visceral fat assessment and highlight the importance of evaluating muscle function rather than relying solely on BMI when assessing metabolic health and sarcopenia risk in prediabetic and diabetic patients.