The fat that hides between muscles: a new silent enemy of cardiometabolic health
A team of scientists from the Granada Biosanitary Research Institute (ibs.GRANADA), the University of Granada (UGR), the Public University of Navarra (UPNA) and CIBER have led this study published in the prestigious journal The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
In a context where obesity and its metabolic consequences affect millions of people around the world, there is still a simplified view of the problem. It is increasingly evident that the location and type of body fat are key factors that can make the difference between a healthy body and one at risk. Beyond subcutaneous fat, that is, the fat that accumulates under the skin, there are less obvious fat deposits, such as intermuscular fat (IMAT), which accumulates between the muscles and could play a crucial role in the development of metabolic diseases. Understanding how and where this fat is distributed may offer new insights into preventing and treating disorders such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is urgent to adopt more precise methods for analyzing body composition, capable of identifying less visible fat deposits that could be potentially harmful to cardiovascular health.
In a study recently published in the prestigious journal The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, the Metabolic and Bone Disease Biomarkers research group at ibs.GRANADA led by Drs. Manuel Muñoz Torres and Jonatan R Ruiz in collaboration with the Mixed University Institute of Sport and Health (iMUDS), the San Cecilio Clinical University Hospital and the Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital in Granada, as well as the research group led by Dr. Idoia Labayen from the Public University of Navarra, together with the CIBER on Obesity (CIBEROBN) and the CIBER on Fragility and Healthy Aging (CIBERFES) have revealed that the accumulation of fat between the leg muscles (at thigh level) could be more closely related to a higher cardiometabolic risk than the fat accumulated between the muscles in the abdominal area.
For years, it has been thought that fat located in the lower body—especially in the thighs and buttocks—had a protective effect against cardiovascular disease. This view, supported by numerous studies highlighting the benefits of subcutaneous fat in this region, is now beginning to be qualified by new findings.
This study led by the Dr. Alba Camacho Cardeñosa, postdoctoral researcher of the group Biomarkers of Metabolic and Bone Diseases Research from the IBS.GRANADA Institute of Medicine and the Endocrinology and Nutrition Department of the San Cecilio University Clinical Hospital reveals that the accumulation of intermuscular fat in the thigh—that is, fat infiltrated between the muscles and not beneath the skin—is associated with a higher risk of cardiometabolic disorders. Unlike abdominal fat, whose association with metabolic disease is already known, this type of deep fat in the thigh could even be a better predictor of cardiometabolic risk in people who are overweight or obese.
This study involved 189 overweight or obese adults, half of whom were women. For two weeks, their glucose levels were closely monitored using continuous monitoring devices. In addition, the amount of intermuscular fat in both the abdominal and thigh areas was quantified using magnetic resonance imaging. A set of risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, including cholesterol, blood pressure, fasting glucose, and waist circumference, were also assessed.
These results underscore the importance of distinguishing between types and locations of body fat and open the door to new, more precise and personalized assessment and treatment strategies. In this case, the fat stored between the thigh muscles appears to play a key role in metabolic health, which could open up new avenues for assessing and treating the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
Contact:
Dr. Alba Camacho-Cardenosa
Granada Biosanitary Research Institute (ibs.Granada)
Joint University Institute of Sport and Health (iMUDS)
E-mail: acamachocardenos@ugr.es
Telf: 619834231
Dr. Jonatan Ruiz Ruiz
Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Joint University Institute of Sports and Health (iMUDS), University of Granada, ibs.Granada, CIBEROBN
E-mail: ruizj@ugr.es
Telf: 699581771
Dr. Manuel Munoz Torres
Endocrinology and Nutrition University of San Cecilio Clinical University Hospital.
Department of Medicine. University of Granada. IBS. GRANADA, CIBERFES.
Telf: 6784810118
Reference bibliographic
Camacho-Cardenosa A, Clavero-Jimeno A, Gatti A, Dote-Montero M, Concepción M, Alfaro-Magallanes VM, Martin-Olmedo JJ, Cabeza R, Idoate F, Martín-Rodríguez JL, García Pérez PV, Muñoz-Torres M, Ruiz JR, Labayen I.
Impact of Abdominal and Thigh Intermuscular Adipose Tissue on Glucose and Cardiometabolic Risk in Adults With Obesity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2025 Jul
12:dgaf362. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaf362. Epub ahead of print. PMID:
40650618.
About the IBS group. GRANADA
El grupo MP20- Biomarkers of Metabolic and Bone Diseases Granada researches biomarkers and new therapeutic targets for metabolic, bone, and cardiovascular diseases. It combines bioinformatics and clinical techniques to develop diagnostic tools and evaluate treatments. Its findings include the protective role of sclerostin against atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes and the use of bone markers in predicting cardiovascular risk. Its multidisciplinary and collaborative approach fosters high-impact research with clinical implications.
Further information: https://www.ibsgranada.es/grupos-de-investigacion/mp20-biomarcadores-de-enfermedades-metabolicas-y-oseas/
