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Usage Information

Metabolic flexibility across the spectrum of glycemic regulation in youth
Fida Bacha, Sara Klinepeter Bartz, Maurice Puyau, Anne Adolph, Susan Sharma
Fida Bacha, Sara Klinepeter Bartz, Maurice Puyau, Anne Adolph, Susan Sharma
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Clinical Research and Public Health Metabolism

Metabolic flexibility across the spectrum of glycemic regulation in youth

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Abstract

BACKGROUND Metabolic flexibility (MF) refers to the relative ability to utilize lipid and carbohydrate substrates and to transition between them. It is not clear whether MF is impaired in obese youth and what the determining factors are.METHODS We investigated the determinants of MF (increased respiratory exchange ratio [ΔRER] under insulin-stimulated conditions) in pubertal youth (n = 104; 15.6 ± 1.8 years) with obesity across the spectrum of glucose tolerance compared with normal weight (NW) controls, including body composition (fat-free mass [FFM], %body fat), visceral adipose fat (VAT) (MRI), glycemia, and insulin sensitivity (IS) [3-hour hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp with measurement of lipolysis ([2H5] glycerol), free fatty acids (FFAs), and RER (indirect calorimetry)].RESULTS Youth with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes had lower ΔRER and oxidative and nonoxidative glucose disposal compared with NW, with no significant difference in ΔRER between NW and obese with normal glucose tolerance. In multiple regression analysis, ISFFM (β = 0.4, P = 0.004), percentage suppression of FFAs (r = 0.26, P = 0.007), and race/ethnicity (β = –0.23, P = 0.02) contributed to the variance in ΔRER (R2 = 0.30, P < 0.001) independent of percentage body fat (or VAT), sex, Tanner stage, and hemoglobin A1c.Conclusion MF is defective at the extreme of the metabolic phenotype in obese youth with dysglycemia related to a defect in IS limiting substrate utilization.FUNDING USDA/ARS Project Number 3092-51000-057.

Authors

Fida Bacha, Sara Klinepeter Bartz, Maurice Puyau, Anne Adolph, Susan Sharma

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Usage data is cumulative from August 2025 through August 2026.

Usage JCI PMC
Text version 2,651 106
PDF 358 33
Figure 286 1
Table 223 0
Supplemental data 217 2
Citation downloads 254 0
Totals 3,989 142
Total Views 4,131
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Usage information is collected from two different sources: this site (JCI) and Pubmed Central (PMC). JCI information (compiled daily) shows human readership based on methods we employ to screen out robotic usage. PMC information (aggregated monthly) is also similarly screened of robotic usage.

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