Lipotoxicity

Lipotoxicity means “fat poisoning” — it describes what happens when excess fat builds up in places it should not be, such as the liver, muscles, and pancreas. This fat accumulation can damage these organs over time, leading to conditions like fatty liver disease and worsening insulin resistance.

Lipotoxicity refers to the deleterious effects of excessive free fatty acids and their metabolites (including diacylglycerols, ceramides, and long-chain fatty acyl-CoAs) accumulating in non-adipose tissues such as hepatocytes, pancreatic beta cells, and skeletal myocytes. These lipid intermediates disrupt insulin signalling pathways, induce endoplasmic reticulum stress, trigger mitochondrial dysfunction, and promote apoptosis, contributing to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular dysfunction in obesity.

Understanding lipotoxicity explains why obesity is not just about appearance — excess body fat actively damages vital organs if left unaddressed. At Accord Medical, Dr Joseph Wang uses comprehensive metabolic assessments to detect early signs of lipotoxic organ damage and intervene before irreversible harm occurs.