Study on the correlation between visceral fat area and thyroid hormone in patients with type 2 diabetes

Objective To explore the relationship between thyroid hormone and abdominal visceral fat area (VFA) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods The serum levels of total thyroid hormone, total triiodothyronine (TT3), free thyroxine, free triiodothyronine (FT3) and thyroid stimulating hormone, and biochemical indexes (fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol) in 328 patients with T2DM were measured, and the VFA and subcutaneous fat area were detected by bioelectrical impedance method.

Results The results of Spearman correlation analysis showed that the TT3 and FT3 were positively correlated with VFA (r=0.184, 0.173, P<0.01). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that there was an independent correlation between TT3 and VFA (P<0.05), and the VFA increased by 13 cm2 for every 1 nmol/L of TT3 increased.

Conclusions The TT3 in T2DM patients is related to VFA, which may be the self-protection mechanism of the body against excess visceral adipose tissue, and adaptive mechanism of the body to maintain metabolic balance.