Reduction of visceral adipose tissue and improvement of metabolic indices: effect of dexfenfluramine in NIDDM.

Increased visceral adipose tissue is thought to contribute to impaired glucose tolerance. We studied 10 men with non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM) before and after a 12-week intervention study using dexfenfluramine. Subjects had a mean body mass index (BMI) of 26.4 +/- 1.7 kg/m2 and had an abdominal distribution of body fatness (waist-to hip ratio > 0.9). Anthropometric indices, biochemistry, macronutrient intake from 7-day food records as well as a euglycaemic glucose clamp and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed at week 0 and week 12. Abdominal adipose tissue area measured by MRI was reduced from 854 +/- 270 cm2 to 666 +/- 231 cm2 (p = 0.003) due mainly to a selective 32% reduction in visceral fat area from 484 +/- 230 cm2 to 333 +/- 72 cm2 (p = 0.002). Insulin sensitivity improved from 0.29 +/- 0.13 [min-1 (mU/L)] to 0.54 +/- 0.21 [min-1 (mU/L)] (p = 0.01) and C-peptide levels reduced from 0.77 +/- 0.24 mumol/L to 0.58 +/- 0.15 mumol/L (p = 0.002). The reductions in fasting glucose and glycated haemoglobin failed to achieve significance. Fasting total cholesterol and triglyceride levels significantly reduced (p = < 0.001 and p = 0.021 respectively). There was a reduction in total energy intake (p = 0.005) due to a significant reduction in calories obtained from fat (p < 0.001). Thus dexfenfluramine was shown to be a useful adjunct therapy for the reduction of visceral fat in abdominally-obese men with NIDDM with an associated improvement in insulin sensitivity.