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Exercise & fitness

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT)

DEViszerales Fettgewebe (VAT)

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is the metabolically active fat packed around your abdominal organs. It is different from the fat under your skin (subcutaneous fat). VAT is troublesome for two reasons. Its fat cells drain straight into the liver's blood supply (the portal circulation). And they pump out pro-inflammatory signals (TNF-α, IL-6, resistin) while making less of the protective hormone adiponectin. The net effect is body-wide inflammation and insulin resistance. High VAT raises your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver, and death, on top of your total body fat or BMI. The gold-standard way to measure it is abdominal CT or MRI; DEXA and waist size are practical stand-ins. And the good news: aerobic exercise and weight loss shrink VAT preferentially, more than the fat under your skin.

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This definition is educational and is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or treatment. Talk to a doctor about any health decisions. Read our full medical disclaimer

Sources

  1. Wajchenberg BL. (2000). Subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue: their relation to the metabolic syndrome. *Endocrine Reviews*doi:10.1210/edrv.21.6.0415
  2. Kuk JL, Katzmarzyk PT, Nichaman MZ, Church TS, Blair SN, Ross R. (2006). Visceral fat is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in men. *Obesity*doi:10.1038/oby.2006.43