Favorable fatty acid composition in adipose tissue in healthy Iraqi- compared to Swedish-born men — a pilot study using MRI assessment

Abstract

Middle Eastern immigrants are at high-risk for insulin resistance. Fatty acid composition (FAC) plays an important role in the development of insulin resistance but has not been investigated in people of Middle Eastern ancestry. Here, the aim was to assess the FAC in visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT and SAT) in healthy Iraqi- and Swedish-born men using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method.This case-control study included 23 Iraqi- and 15 Swedish-born middle-aged men, without cardiometabolic disease. Using multi-echo MRI of the abdomen, the fractions of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (fSFA, fMUFA, and fPUFA) were estimated in VAT and SAT. SAT was further analyzed in deep and superficial compartments (dSAT and sSAT). In all depots, fPUFA was significantly higher and fSFA significantly lower in Iraqi men, independently of age and BMI. In both Iraqi- and Swedish-born men, higher fPUFA and lower fMUFA were found in sSAT vs. dSAT. Among Iraqi men only, higher fPUFA and lower fMUFA were found in SAT vs. VAT.Iraqi-born men presented a more favorable abdominal FAC compared to Swedish-born men. This MRI method also revealed different FACs in different abdominal depots. Our results may reflect a beneficial FAC in Middle Eastern immigrants.

MRI assessment of adipose tissue fatty acid composition in the UK Biobank and its association with diet and disease

“…While numerous small human studies relating dietary fat to adipose tissue fat composition have been undertaken using GLC, very few have used MRI (14). Trinh et al (28), reported that differences in habitual saturated fat intake are closely reflected in the FA composition of VAT and ASAT. In the present study, we confirm these findings, with dietary saturated and monounsaturated fats being positively associated with fSFA and negatively associated with fMUFA and fPUFA, respectively, in both fat depots.…”

Quantitative myocardial perfusion during stress using CMR is impaired in healthy Middle Eastern immigrants without CV risk factors

“…We could not find any cardiovascular risk factors explaining the variation in myocardial perfusion across males of Middle Eastern and Caucasian origin. From the same MEDIM cohort as the current study is based on two studies on differences in fat metabolism have recently demonstrated that (1) healthy Iraqi male immigrants displayed a higher triglyceride peak and a delayed postprandial triglyceride clearance compared with Swedes after an oral fat tolerance test 33 and (2) Iraqi-born men presented a more favorable abdominal fatty-acid composition compared to Swedish-born men using MRI of the abdomen 34 .…”