Uncoupling protein-2 45-base pair insertion/deletion polymorphism: is there an association with severe obesity and weight loss in morbidly obese subjects?
There is no association of the UCP2 ins/del polymorphism with morbid obesity in our population, but this genotype appears to be linked with a favorable response to dietary changes in metabolically healthy obese subjects.
The present findings indicate that reduction of insulin sensitivity precedes the development of high blood pressure and may be coupled to low physical fitness. As abdominal fat distribution seems not to be related to insulin sensitivity in subjects with a family history of hypertension, changes in muscle fibre composition or muscle glucose metabolism, or both, might explain the lower insulin sensitivity and physical fitness in the Relatives.