APLN and Insulin resistance: In multivariable analysis, we observed a significant positive association of total plasma free fatty acids (FFAs) (STZ β = 0.241, P = 0.006), saturated fatty acid (SFA) (STZ β = 0.336, P < 0.001), and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) (STZ β = 0.313, P < 0.001) concentrations with apelin gene expression from VAT after controlling for age, sex, body mass index, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), physical activity, and energy intake.