TY - JOUR

T1 - Asian females without diabetes are protected from obesity-related dysregulation of glucose metabolism compared with males

AU - Lee, Michelle H

AU - Febriana, Eveline

AU - Lim, Maybritte

AU - Baig, Sonia

AU - Halter, Jeffrey B

AU - Magkos, Faidon

AU - Toh, Sue-Anne

N1 - © 2023 The Authors. Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Obesity Society.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Objective: The impact of obesity on the risk for type 2 diabetes differs between males and females; however, the underlying reasons are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of sex on obesity-driven changes in the mechanisms regulating glucose metabolism (insulin sensitivity and secretion) among Asian individuals without diabetes in Singapore.Methods: The study assessed glucose tolerance using oral glucose tolerance test, insulin-mediated glucose uptake using hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, acute insulin response using an intravenous glucose challenge, and insulin secretion rates in the fasting state and in response to glucose ingestion using mathematical modeling in 727 males and 952 females who had normal body weight (n = 602, BMI < 23 kg/m2), overweight (n = 662, 23 ≤ BMI < 27.5), or obesity (n = 415, BMI ≥ 27.5). Results: There were no sex differences among lean individuals. Obesity gradually worsened metabolic function, and the progressive adverse effects of obesity on insulin action and secretion were more pronounced in males than females, such that among participants with obesity, females had greater insulin sensitivity, lower insulin secretion, and lower fasting insulin concentration than males. The increase in waist to hip ratio with increasing BMI was more pronounced in males than females.Conclusions: The female sex exerts a protective effect on obesity-driven dysregulation of glucose metabolism in Asian individuals without diabetes.

AB - Objective: The impact of obesity on the risk for type 2 diabetes differs between males and females; however, the underlying reasons are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of sex on obesity-driven changes in the mechanisms regulating glucose metabolism (insulin sensitivity and secretion) among Asian individuals without diabetes in Singapore.Methods: The study assessed glucose tolerance using oral glucose tolerance test, insulin-mediated glucose uptake using hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, acute insulin response using an intravenous glucose challenge, and insulin secretion rates in the fasting state and in response to glucose ingestion using mathematical modeling in 727 males and 952 females who had normal body weight (n = 602, BMI < 23 kg/m2), overweight (n = 662, 23 ≤ BMI < 27.5), or obesity (n = 415, BMI ≥ 27.5). Results: There were no sex differences among lean individuals. Obesity gradually worsened metabolic function, and the progressive adverse effects of obesity on insulin action and secretion were more pronounced in males than females, such that among participants with obesity, females had greater insulin sensitivity, lower insulin secretion, and lower fasting insulin concentration than males. The increase in waist to hip ratio with increasing BMI was more pronounced in males than females.Conclusions: The female sex exerts a protective effect on obesity-driven dysregulation of glucose metabolism in Asian individuals without diabetes.

U2 - 10.1002/oby.23833

DO - 10.1002/oby.23833

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37534562

VL - 31

SP - 2304

EP - 2314

JO - Obesity

JF - Obesity

SN - 1930-7381

IS - 9

ER -