The Ageing Adipose Paradox: Implications For Metabolic Health
As we get older, our fat tissue undergoes significant changes that can negatively impact our overall health. Normally, our bodies can create new, healthy fat cells to store excess energy. However, with age, the ability of these immature fat cells to develop into new ones decreases, while existing fat cells tend to grow larger and accumulate more fat. This creates an imbalance between our body’s capacity to manage fat and the actual demand for fat storage, ultimately weakening the metabolic health of our fat tissue and contributing to conditions like insulin resistance, where our cells become less responsive to insulin, a hormone vital for blood sugar regulation.
Scientists have identified four key issues contributing to this problem. First, there are changes in how genes are turned on or off, pushing fat cell development away from creating new cells and towards simply enlarging existing ones. Second, imbalances in certain proteins, called sirtuins, and a crucial energy molecule, NAD+, play a role in this age-related decline in new fat cell formation. Third, structural changes within the cell’s nucleus make it harder for the genes responsible for creating new fat cells to be activated. Finally, old, ‘zombie-like’ cells accumulate in our fat tissue. These cells release harmful inflammatory signals, which further fuel local inflammation and prevent the formation of new fat cells.
These changes also lead to a problematic shift in where fat is stored in the body. Instead of being stored safely under the skin, fat increasingly moves to areas around vital organs, in the liver, muscles, and even around blood vessels. This redistribution of fat accelerates the development of serious health issues such as insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Understanding these mechanisms opens doors for potential treatments, including drugs that can remove these ‘zombie’ cells, supplements that boost NAD+, and medications that help regulate blood sugar, all aimed at restoring the healthy function of our fat tissue as we age.
Source: link to paper