fATDIVA-Exeter (for Adipose Tissue DIabetes VAriants)

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Defining adipose tissue lipid deposition in normal weight individuals with a genetic predisposition to insulin resistance

• IRAS ID

  170361

• Contact name

  Bridget Knight

• Contact email

  B.A.Knight@ex.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  RD&E NHS FT

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 0 months, 0 days

• Research summary

  The adipose (fat) cells under the skin are where we store excess fat. The more excess fat we have the more “strain” we put on these cells which then get bigger and don't work as well as they should. Having some fat under the skin is important. We know this because people who have a genetic defect which results in them having almost no fat under their skin have a very high risk of a condition called insulin resistance (where the body does not respond as well to insulin and blood sugar levels rise). This can lead to diabetes and heart disease despite them not being overweight.
  Scientists have only recently started to understand the importance of fat in insulin resistance and how people unable to store fat very well can have insulin resistance despite not being obese. We have also recently discovered that small changes in a person’s genetic code (their body’s instruction manual) may also affect their ability to store fat. We would like to explore this in more detail. To do this, we will recruit volunteers from EXTEND who gave us their permission to contact them about further research. We will collect detailed body size measures and blood samples taken before and after a special drink that is high in fat (a bit like a thick milk shake)then compare the results between people with and without the particular genetic changes we are interested in.

  Knowing more about these genetic changes and how our fat cells fat cells work could help us understand why some people develop diabetes and heart disease.

• REC name

  South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  15/SW/0021

• Date of REC Opinion

  2 Apr 2015

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion