Associations of Thigh and Abdominal Adipose Tissue Radiodensity with Glucose and Insulin in Nondiabetic African‐Ancestry Men

Objective Decreased radiodensity of adipose tissue (AT) located in the visceral AT (VAT), subcutaneous AT (SAT), and intermuscular AT (IMAT) abdominal depots is associated with hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance independent of AT volumes. These associations were sought in African‐ancestry men, who have higher risk for type 2 diabetes and have been underrepresented in previous studies. Methods This cross‐sectional analysis included 505 nondiabetic men of African‐Caribbean ancestry (median age: 61 years; median BMI: 26.8 kg/m2) from the Tobago Health Study. AT volumes and radiodensities were assessed using computed tomography, including abdominal (VAT and SAT) and thigh (IMAT) depots. Associations between AT radiodensities were assessed with fasting serum glucose and insulin and with insulin resistance (updated homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, HOMA2‐IR). Results Higher radiodensity in any AT depot was associated with lower log‐insulin and log‐HOMA2‐IR (β range: −0.16 to −0.18 for each; all P