Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance · NCLEX Exam

Why is visceral obesity (abdominal fat) particularly important in the pathophysiology of insulin resistance?

  1. Subcutaneous fat is far more metabolically active than visceral fat
  2. It releases free fatty acids and cytokines that impair insulin signalling
  3. Only subcutaneous fat, not visceral fat, drives insulin resistance
  4. Visceral fat has essentially no relationship to overall metabolic risk
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: It releases free fatty acids and cytokines that impair insulin signalling

Visceral adipose tissue releases fatty acids and inflammatory mediators that interfere with insulin signalling in muscle, liver and adipose tissue.

Difficulty: Medium Question 8 of 20

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