The Concept of CMR

Foreword

One of the most common metabolic complications of intra-abdominal (visceral) obesity is insulin resistance, a condition in which insulin no longer functions effectively. It is generally accepted that insulin resistance is a major cause of many components of the metabolic syndrome, including dysregulation of glucose homeostasis, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. This is not surprising given that insulin is a hormone that plays a critical role in controlling carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism and influences a host of other cellular functions in many organs.

This section explains the link between intra-abdominal obesity and insulin resistance in adipose and other insulin-responsive tissues, namely skeletal muscle and the liver, and how insulin resistance affects type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. A brief overview of how insulin regulates blood glucose is provided in order to place intra-abdominal obesity-related insulin resistance in proper context.