Skeletal muscle fatty acid handling in insulin resistance:

The effect of dietary fatty acids

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of risk factors (such as high blood pressure, a disturbed lipid balance, insulin resistance and obesity) for the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular diseases. Insulin resistance and central obesity are considered the main factors underlying MetS. There is proof that the type of fat in food can change the insulin sensitivity of the muscle by influencing the storage and oxidation of fats in the muscle. This dissertation focuses on the fat metabolism of the skeletal muscle in relation to insulin sensitivity and it studies the effect of the quantity and the type of fat on that. The dissertation proves that changing the quality and quantity of food can lead to an improvement of the way the muscle handles fats and thus to an improvement of insulin sensitivity. However, the results also show that changes in the diet must be well adjusted to the genetic and metabolic profile of groups of people.

Anneke Jans, April 27th 2012