Brown Adipose Tissue and Metabolic Markers Differ Between Greenlanders and Danes With Cold Activation
Authors' conclusion
The larger increase in BAT activity in response to cooling and the dampened response in metabolic parameters in Greenlanders compared to Danes leads to a hypothesis of preparedness for rapid thermogenic response to cold exposure in populations with active BAT.
Study context
- Population
- Greenlanders and Danes undergoing thermoneutral and cooling sessions with [18F]FDG PET/CT
- Participants
- 13 vs 11
- Comparison
- Greenlanders vs Danes, response to cooling
- Greenlandersn = 13
- Danesn = 11reference
- Outcome
- Cold-induced brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation (BAT volume and activity on [18F]FDG PET/CT)
Methodological details2 sessions 2 weeks apart: thermoneutral and cooling
- 2 sessions 2 weeks apart: thermoneutral and cooling
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Increase in active BAT volume with cooling
Greenlanders
16 917%
Danes
4541%
P = 0.046
Further findings
| Outcome | Greenlanders | Danes |
|---|---|---|
| Change in glucose with cooling | 0.16 mmol/L | 0.30 mmol/L |
| P | P = .12 | P = .013 |
| Change in insulin with cooling | 6.65 pmol/L | 2.43 pmol/L |
| P | P = .001 | P = .32 |
| Change in TG with cooling | −0.16 pmol/L | −0.59 mmol/L |
| P | P = .21 | P < .001 |
| Change in total cholesterol with cooling | 0.02 mmol/L | 0.39 mmol/L |
| P | P = .89 | P < .001 |
Core temperature during cooling
- Core temperature decreased in both Greenlanders and Danes
- 0.5 °C
Original publication
Brown Adipose Tissue and Metabolic Markers Differ Between Greenlanders and Danes With Cold Activation. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Published 17 November 2025. doi:10.
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