Changes in fat distribution
PhysiologicalData Availability
Period at which this change occurs is not accurately known
Tissue
-
adipose tissue
Changes
⇩
-
Anatomical System
-
anatomical site
- head and neck
-
thorax
- thoracic wall
- abdomen
- pelvis
- perineum
- upper limb
- lower limb
- whole body
- adipose tissue
- mucosa
- spine
-
cardiovascular system
-
heart
- atrium
-
ventricle
- left ventricle
- endocardium
- myocardium
- pericardium
- cardiac valve
- cardiac conducting system
-
artery
- aorta
- arterial intima
- arterial media
- arterial adventitia
- carotid artery
- coronary artery
-
vein
- venous intima
- venous media
- venous adventitia
- capillary
-
heart
-
respiratory system
- nose
- sinus
- larynx
- trachea
- bronchus
-
lung
- alveolus
- pleura
- diaphragm
-
hematological system
-
bone marrow
- hematopoietic stem cells
- mesenchymal stem cell
-
blood
- plasma
- myeloid progenitor cell
-
bone marrow
-
lymphoreticular system
- lymph
- lymph node
- tonsil
- spleen
-
alimentary system
-
oral cavity
- tongue
- salivary gland
- tooth
- gum
-
pharynx
- nasopharynx
- oropharynx
- hypopharynx
- oesophagus
-
stomach
- gastric mucosa
-
intestine
-
small intestine
- duodenum
- jejunum
- ileum
- vermiform appendix
-
large intestine
-
colorectal
-
colon
- appendix
- rectum
-
colon
- anus
- cecum
-
colorectal
-
small intestine
- mesentery
- omentum
- peritoneum
-
liver and biliary system
- liver
- gall bladder
- bile duct
-
pancreas
- exocrine pancreas
-
oral cavity
-
urogenital system
-
urinary system
-
kidney
-
nephron
-
renal corpuscle
- glomerus
-
renal tubule
- renal proximal convoluted tubule
- renal distal convoluted tubule
- loop of Henle
- renal collecting duct
-
renal corpuscle
- renal vasculature
- glomerulus
-
nephron
- ureter
- bladder
- urethra
-
kidney
-
reproductive system
-
male reproductive system
-
testis
- seminiferous tubule
- epididymis
- prostate
- vas deferens
-
penis
- glans
- foreskin
-
testis
-
female reproductive system
- ovary
- uterine tube
-
uterus
- cervix
- endometrium
- myometrium
- vagina
- vulva
-
breast
- mammary gland
-
male reproductive system
-
urinary system
-
endocrine system
-
endocrine pancreas
- islets of Langerhans
- pineal gland
- pituitary gland
- thyroid
- parathyroid
-
adrenal gland
- adrenal cortex
- adrenal medulla
-
endocrine pancreas
-
musculoskeletal system
-
bone
- ulna
- femur
- cartilage
-
joint
- synovium
- ligament
- meniscus
-
muscle
- skeletal muscle
- smooth muscle
- tendon
- fascia
-
bone
-
integument system
-
skin
- epidermis
- dermis
-
appendages
- hair follicle
- hair
- nail bed
- nail
- sweat gland
- sebaceous gland
- subcutaneous
-
skin
-
nervous system
-
central nervous system
-
brain
-
cerebrum
-
cerebral cortex
-
frontal lobe
- prefrontal cortex
- parietal lobe
- temporal lobe
- occipital lobe
- visual
- insula
- olfactory bulb
- anterior olfactory nucleus
- lateral olfactory stria
- medial olfactory stria
- olfactory tubercle
- primary olfactory cortex
- secondary olfactory cortex
- hippocampus
- parahippocampal gyrus
-
frontal lobe
- basal nuclei
-
cerebral cortex
-
hypothalamus
- preoptic nucleus
- supraoptic nucleus
- suprachiasmatic nucleus
- paraventricular nucleus
- infundibular nucleus
- anterior nucleus
- dorsomedial nucleus
- ventromedial nucleus
- lateral nucleus
- posterior nucleus
- premamillary nucleus
- tuberomamillary nucleus
- medial mamillary nucleus
- lateral mamillary nucleus
- lateral tuberal nucleus
-
brain stem
-
midbrain
- crus cerebri
- colliculi
- substantia nigra
- red nucleus
- periaqueductal grey matter
- oculomotor nucleus
- trochlear nucleus
- mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus
-
pons
- vestibular nuclei
- cochlear nuclei
- superior olivary nucleus
- trapezoid nucleus
- nucleus of the lateral lemniscus
- abducent nucleus
- facial nucleus
- salivatory nuclei
- trigeminal nucleus
-
midbrain
-
cerebellum
- cerebellum cortex
- cerebellum nuclei
-
tract
- corpus callosum
- ventricular system
- cerebrospinal fluid
- meninges
- white matter
- grey matter
- blood brain barrier
-
cerebrum
- spinal cord
-
brain
-
peripheral nervous system
-
visual apparatus
- globe
- eyelid
- lacrimal gland
- conjunctiva
- cornea
- sclera
- lens
- vitreous humor
- iris
- ciliary body
- choroid
- retina
- optic nerve
- trabecular meshwork
-
auditory apparatus
- external ear
- middle ear
- tympanum
- auditory tube
- auditory ossicle
-
internal ear
-
osseous labyrinth
-
cochlea
- spiral organ of Corti
- semicircular canal
- vestibule
-
cochlea
- membranous labyrinth
-
osseous labyrinth
- olfactory apparatus
- peripheral nerve
- ganglion
- sympathetic chain
-
visual apparatus
-
central nervous system
-
immune system
-
thymus
- T cell progenitor
- lymphocytes
- B cell
- memory B cell
- T cell
- T regulatory cell
- stromal cell
- naïve T cell
- neutrophil
- macrophage
- natural killer cell
- dendritic cell
- leukocyte
-
thymus
-
anatomical site
-
Anatomical System
References
- Sepe et al. (2011) "Aging and regional differences in fat cell progenitors - a mini-review." Gerontology 57(1):66-75 (PubMed)
- Tchkonia et al. (2010) "Fat tissue, aging, and cellular senescence." Aging Cell 9(5):667-684 (PubMed)
- Kuk et al. (2009) "Age-related changes in total and regional fat distribution." Ageing Res. Rev. 8(4):339-348 (PubMed)
- Delmonico et al. (2009) "Longitudinal study of muscle strength, quality, and adipose tissue infiltration." Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 90(6):1579-1585 (PubMed)
- Cartwright et al. (2007) "Aging in adipocytes: potential impact of inherent, depot-specific mechanisms." Exp. Gerontol. 42(6):463-471 (PubMed)
- Rabkin (2007) "Epicardial fat: properties, function and relationship to obesity." Obes Rev 8(3):253-261 (PubMed)
- Slawik and Vidal-Puig (2006) "Lipotoxicity, overnutrition and energy metabolism in aging." Ageing Res. Rev. 5(2):144-164 (PubMed)
- Raguso et al. (2006) "A 3-year longitudinal study on body composition changes in the elderly: role of physical exercise." Clin Nutr 25(4):573-580 (PubMed)
- Kyle et al. (2001) "Age-related differences in fat-free mass, skeletal muscle, body cell mass and fat mass between 18 and 94 years." Eur J Clin Nutr 55(8):663-672 (PubMed)
- Matsuzawa et al. (1995) "Pathophysiology and pathogenesis of visceral fat obesity." Obes. Res. 3 Suppl 2:187S-194S (PubMed)
- Kotani et al. (1994) "Sexual dimorphism of age-related changes in whole-body fat distribution in the obese." Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 18(4):207-202 (PubMed)
- Meunier et al. (1971) "Osteoporosis and the replacement of cell populations of the marrow by adipose tissue. A quantitative study of 84 iliac bone biopsies." Clin. Orthop. Relat. Res. 80:147-154 (PubMed)
External Links
Description
With age, there is an increase in abdominal fat, in particular visceral fat, combined with a decrease in lower body subcutaneous fat. These changes can occur independent of changes in total adiposity, body weight or waist circumference. An age-related increase in intermuscular fat in men and women, regardless of changes in weight or subcutaneous fat was also reported. Aging is also generally associated with increases in fat deposition in various tissues, such as the heart, liver, skeletal muscle, and bone marrow.