High levels of fat stored around the abdomen has been linked to faster aging in middle-aged adults.
University of Western Australia researchers found that visceral fat was metabolically active and secreted proteins that contributed to systemic inflammation.
Adjunct Associate Professors Jennie Hui and Kun Zhu said this was likely to impact the ageing process beyond general measures of obesity.
“Our study shows that visceral fat is associated with faster biological and cellular ageing,” Associate Professor Hui, Director of the Busselton Health Study Laboratory, said.
“Understanding what drives faster ageing helps us find better ways to stay healthy for longer.”
The research analysed around 4800 participants aged 45 to 69 from the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study.
The belly fat inflammation impacted men and women but women with higher levels of visceral fat were also linked to shorter telomere length – the repetitive DNA sequences capping the end of chromosomes that are a key marker of cellular ageing.
“Importantly, these associations remained significant even after accounting for overall body fat, body mass index, waist circumference and lifestyle factors,” Associate Professor Zhu said.
“Visceral fat is metabolically active, secreting a range of pro-inflammatory proteins, which contribute to systemic inflammation and metabolic stress.”
