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MOTS-c activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), leading to improved glucose uptake, insulin sensitivity, and metabolic efficiency independent of growth hormone signaling.
Tesamorelin upregulates nuclear-encoded genes involved in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid β-oxidation.
Increased IGF-1 levels are associated with enhanced mitochondrial oxidative capacity, as measured by phosphocreatine recovery kinetics following exercise.
Tesamorelin increases cross-sectional area and density of trunk skeletal muscles while reducing intramyocellular lipid infiltration.
Reduction in adipose tissue volume is accompanied by increased adipocyte density, reflecting smaller adipocyte size, improved vascularization, reduced hypoxia, and decreased local inflammation.
Hepatic lipid accumulation impairs insulin signaling and glucose metabolism, acting as a primary driver of systemic insulin resistance.
Administration of tesamorelin results in a statistically significant reduction in visceral adipose tissue volume compared to placebo, with a mean reduction of approximately 11% after 6 months of treatment.
Tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, stimulates endogenous growth hormone secretion from the pituitary gland in a pulsatile, physiologically regulated manner.
Visceral adipose tissue is metabolically active and secretes pro-inflammatory cytokines that impair insulin signaling in liver, muscle, and brain tissues.
Instead of just saying ‘obese’ or ‘not obese,’ the study looked at how even small increases in belly fat measures were linked to higher depression risk — giving a more detailed picture.
There could be other hidden factors — like diet, stress, or sleep — that make both belly fat and depression more likely, so we can’t be sure the fat itself is causing the mental health issues.
Because everyone in the study was Taiwanese, we can’t be sure these results apply to people from other countries or cultures — especially since body shape and how people talk about mental health can be very different.
We can’t tell if belly fat leads to depression, depression leads to weight gain, or if both happen together — because this study only looked at people at one point in time.
Even after accounting for age, smoking, exercise, and other health problems, belly fat still links to depression and anxiety — meaning the connection isn’t just because of other health issues.
In this big study of Taiwanese adults, 5 out of every 100 people had signs of depression or anxiety — and more women than men reported these symptoms.
The study used people’s own reports of being diagnosed with depression or scoring high on short mental health questionnaires — which might miss cases because people in Taiwan often don’t talk about mental health.
Even though belly fat seems to link more strongly to depression in men than women, the overall pattern is the same for both — meaning the connection isn’t unique to one sex.
How fat is shaped and spread around the belly — not just how big it is — is linked to depression and anxiety, even after accounting for other health factors.
In women, a marker of fat around internal organs is linked to depression or anxiety, but not in men — suggesting men and women may have different biological links between belly fat and mood.
People with higher levels of fat-related blood markers (like triglycerides and sugar) are more likely to have depression or anxiety, hinting that metabolic health might be tied to mental health.
If your waist is a large part of your height or wider than your hips, you’re more likely to have depression or anxiety — and this holds true for both men and women in this study.
A new way to measure belly shape — called the conicity index — is the best single sign among all body measurements to predict depression or anxiety in middle-aged Taiwanese men, and still a strong sign in women.
Being overweight or obese by BMI doesn’t reliably predict depression or anxiety in middle-aged Taiwanese men, and only slightly in women — so weight alone isn’t a good sign of mental health risk.
People with more fat around their waist and hips, compared to overall body weight, are more likely to have symptoms of depression or anxiety, especially in middle-aged Taiwanese adults.