Sex-specific Differences in the Association Between Leg Fat and Diabetes Risk

This study investigates the association between LFP, VAT and T2DM using DXA in 542 adults. We apply penalized regression, generalized additive models (GAM), and causal mediation analysis to explore whether higher LFP reduces diabetes risk and whether this effect is mediated by VAT. Sex-specific analyses further clarify the biological differences in adipose distribution. The findings aim to improve understanding of fat distribution and metabolic health.