Increased subcutaneous fat cell number, unlike increased fat cell size, is associated with a more beneficial metabolic phenotype in obesity.
Variations in fat cell size and number correlate differently with metabolic parameters in obesity. Increased fat cell size in visceral and sc depots associates with a pernicious metabolic profile, whereas increased sc, but not visceral, fat cell number correlates with a more beneficial phenotype. Whether determination of sc fat cell number, in addition to adipocyte size, may have a predictive value for the risk of type 2 diabetes needs to be demonstrated in prospective or mechanistic studies.
Rydén et al. (Tue,) studied this question.