Bone marrow adipose tissue content in Latino adolescents with prediabetes and obesity

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to examine whether total, regional, and organ fat predicts bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) fat content and to explore whether BMAT fat content differs by sex among Latino youth. Methods Latino youth (n = 86; age 13.6 [1.4] years, 62% male) with obesity (BMI percentile = 98.5% [1.2%]) underwent a dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry scan to assess body composition and a magnetic resonance imaging scan to determine abdominal adiposity, liver fat, and vertebral BMAT fat content in the thoracic (average of T8‐T12) and lumbar (average of L1‐L5) spine. Results Male youth exhibited significantly greater thoracic (male youth = 30.8% [1.4%] vs. female youth = 24.5% [2.1%], p = 0.027) and lumbar (male youth = 36.3% [1.5%] vs. female youth = 30.2% [2.2%], p = 0.038) BMAT fat content compared with female youth. Visceral adipose tissue was a significant predictor of thoracic (β = 0.434, t[86] = 3.016, p = 0.003) and lumbar (β = 0.389, t[86] = 2.677, p = 0.009) BMAT fat content, explaining 8.9% and 6.9% of the variance, respectively. Liver fat was a significant predictor of both thoracic (β = 0.487, t[86] = 4.334, p < 0.001) and lumbar (β = 0.436, t[86] = 3.793, p < 0.001) BMAT fat content, explaining 17.6% and 13.8% of the variance, respectively. Conclusions Male youth had significantly greater thoracic and lumbar BMAT fat content than female youth. Greater BMAT fat content is associated with greater liver fat and visceral adipose tissue among youth with obesity. Further investigation of the mechanistic underpinnings of BMAT may help to differentiate its metabolic and bone‐related functions.

Obesity, bone marrow adiposity, and leukemia: Time to act

“…Latino male adolescents have higher BMAT in their lumbar and thoracic BM than females, which increases with visceral obesity 101 . Early‐pubertal girls in the USA also show this body fat and BMAT association 102 .…”

Adipose Tissue Metabolism in Response to Food Intake

“…Specifically, Newton et al [19] assessed body composition in 59 earlypubertal girls and found a positive association between body fat and BMAT. Another study conducted in Latino adolescents found that greater BMAT content was positively associated with liver fat and visceral adipose tissue [20]. Conversely, BMAT accumulation was negatively correlated with bone strength in anorexia nervosa patients [21].…”