title: Pancreatic Steatosis Demonstrated at MR Imaging in the General Population: Clinical Relevance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relationship between pancreatic fat content and type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  From the prospective population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP), 1367 volunteers (563 men, 678 women; median age, 50 years) underwent whole-body magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 1.5 T, which included multiecho chemical shift-encoded acquisition of the abdomen. SHIP was approved by the institutional review board, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. The proton density fat fraction (PDFF) was calculated after correction for T1 bias, T2* bias, multipeak spectral complexity of fat, and noise bias. On the basis of oral glucose tolerance test results, participants were grouped into those with normal glucose tolerance (n = 740), those with prediabetes (n = 431), and those with confirmed type 2 diabetes but without medication (n = 70). PDFF was assessed in the pancreatic head, body, and tail. Multivariable regression analysis was conducted to investigate possible relationships of PDFF with demographic factors, behavioral factors, and laboratory data associated with the metabolic syndrome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all subjects, the mean unadjusted pancreatic fat content was 4.4% (head, 4.6%; body, 4.9%; tail, 3.9%; being unequally distributed, P < .001). There was no significant difference in pancreatic PDFF among subjects with normal glucose tolerance, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes (P = .980). Pancreatic PDFF showed a positive association with age and body mass index and a negative association with serum lipase activity (P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of pancreatic fat is not related to prediabetes or diabetes, which suggests that it has little clinical relevance for an individual's glycemic status.
authors: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology (J.P.K., F.B., N.H., K.H.), Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology (J.M., M.M.L.), and Institute for Community Medicine (H.V., P.J.M.), Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Berthold-Beitz-Platz, Greifswald D-17475, Germany; Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering and Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis (S.B.R.); and Institute of Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany (W.R.).
authors: Jens-Peter
authors: JP
authors: Kühn
authors: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology (J.P.K., F.B., N.H., K.H.), Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology (J.M., M.M.L.), and Institute for Community Medicine (H.V., P.J.M.), Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Berthold-Beitz-Platz, Greifswald D-17475, Germany; Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering and Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis (S.B.R.); and Institute of Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany (W.R.).
authors: Friederike
authors: F
authors: Berthold
authors: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology (J.P.K., F.B., N.H., K.H.), Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology (J.M., M.M.L.), and Institute for Community Medicine (H.V., P.J.M.), Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Berthold-Beitz-Platz, Greifswald D-17475, Germany; Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering and Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis (S.B.R.); and Institute of Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany (W.R.).
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Mayerle
authors: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology (J.P.K., F.B., N.H., K.H.), Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology (J.M., M.M.L.), and Institute for Community Medicine (H.V., P.J.M.), Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Berthold-Beitz-Platz, Greifswald D-17475, Germany; Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering and Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis (S.B.R.); and Institute of Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany (W.R.).
authors: Henry
authors: H
authors: Völzke
authors: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology (J.P.K., F.B., N.H., K.H.), Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology (J.M., M.M.L.), and Institute for Community Medicine (H.V., P.J.M.), Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Berthold-Beitz-Platz, Greifswald D-17475, Germany; Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering and Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis (S.B.R.); and Institute of Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany (W.R.).
authors: Scott B
authors: SB
authors: Reeder
authors: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology (J.P.K., F.B., N.H., K.H.), Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology (J.M., M.M.L.), and Institute for Community Medicine (H.V., P.J.M.), Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Berthold-Beitz-Platz, Greifswald D-17475, Germany; Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering and Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis (S.B.R.); and Institute of Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany (W.R.).
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Rathmann
authors: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology (J.P.K., F.B., N.H., K.H.), Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology (J.M., M.M.L.), and Institute for Community Medicine (H.V., P.J.M.), Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Berthold-Beitz-Platz, Greifswald D-17475, Germany; Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering and Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis (S.B.R.); and Institute of Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany (W.R.).
authors: Markus M
authors: MM
authors: Lerch
authors: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology (J.P.K., F.B., N.H., K.H.), Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology (J.M., M.M.L.), and Institute for Community Medicine (H.V., P.J.M.), Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Berthold-Beitz-Platz, Greifswald D-17475, Germany; Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering and Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis (S.B.R.); and Institute of Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany (W.R.).
authors: Norbert
authors: N
authors: Hosten
authors: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology (J.P.K., F.B., N.H., K.H.), Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology (J.M., M.M.L.), and Institute for Community Medicine (H.V., P.J.M.), Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Berthold-Beitz-Platz, Greifswald D-17475, Germany; Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering and Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis (S.B.R.); and Institute of Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany (W.R.).
authors: Katrin
authors: K
authors: Hegenscheid
authors: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology (J.P.K., F.B., N.H., K.H.), Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology (J.M., M.M.L.), and Institute for Community Medicine (H.V., P.J.M.), Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Berthold-Beitz-Platz, Greifswald D-17475, Germany; Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering and Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis (S.B.R.); and Institute of Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany (W.R.).
authors: Peter J
authors: PJ
authors: Meffert
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology*; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D011236:Prediabetic State / Q000150:complications; D011446:Prospective Studies