Abdominal Adipose Tissue and Insulin Resistance: The Role of Ethnicity

Given the increase in ethnic diversity worldwide, and especially in high-income countries such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, there has been significant interest in exploring the ethnic differences in disease risk factors and chronic diseases. This chapter summarizes the ethnic differences in abdominal adipose tissue distribution, devoting particular attention to subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue. Additionally, this chapter reviews ethnic differences in the prevalence of insulin resistance and in the association between abdominal adipose tissue and insulin resistance. Ethnic groups reviewed include, but are not limited to, African-Americans, Europeans, East and South Asians, and Hispanics. Despite the challenges in ethnicity research such as the lack of standardized methods for assessing ethnicity, the comprehensive assessment of ethnicity may shed more light on the mechanisms underlying ethnic differences in disease risk factors and diseases, and guide the development and implementation of targeted disease prevention and treatment strategies.