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Mechanisms of Adverse Cardiometabolic Consequences of Obesity

Current Atherosclerosis Reports volume 15, Article number: 364 (2013) Cite this article

Abstract

Obesity is an epidemic that threatens the health of millions of people worldwide and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. There are multiple and complex mechanisms to explain how obesity can cause cardiovascular disease. In recent years, studies have shown some limitations in the way we currently define obesity and assess adiposity. This review focuses on the mechanisms involved in the cardiometabolic consequences of obesity and on the relationship between obesity and cardiovascular comorbidities, and provides a brief review of the latest studies focused on normal weight obesity and the obesity paradox.

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Acknowledgments

Prachi Singh, Virend K. Somers, Ondrej Sochor, and Francisco Lopez-Jimenez were supported by the European Regional Development Fund, project FNUSA-ICRC (Z.1.05/1.1.00/02.0123). Ondrej Sochor was also supported by the Internal Grant Agency of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic (IGA MZČR; NT 13434-4/2012). Prachi SIngh is funded by 11SDG726004 from American Heart Association (AHA).

Conflict of Interest

Virend K. Somers has been a consultant to Neu Pro, Apnex Medical, Respicardia, Medtronic, and ResMed.

Carlos M. Diaz-Melean, Juan Pablo Rodriguez-Escudero, Prachi Singh, Ondrej Sochor, Ernesto Manuel Llano, and Francisco Lopez-Jimenez declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiovascular Disease, and Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    Carlos M. Diaz-Melean, Virend K. Somers, Juan Pablo Rodriguez-Escudero, Prachi Singh, Ondrej Sochor, Ernesto Manuel Llano & Francisco Lopez-Jimenez

  2. International Clinic Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic

    Ondrej Sochor

  3. University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Texas, TX, USA

    Ernesto Manuel Llano

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  1. Carlos M. Diaz-Melean
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  2. Virend K. Somers
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  7. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez
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Correspondence to Francisco Lopez-Jimenez.

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Diaz-Melean, C.M., Somers, V.K., Rodriguez-Escudero, J.P. et al. Mechanisms of Adverse Cardiometabolic Consequences of Obesity. Curr Atheroscler Rep 15, 364 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11883-013-0364-2

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Keywords

  • Obesity
  • Cardiometabolic dysregulation
  • Visceral fat
  • Central obesity
  • Leptin
  • Adiponectin
  • Ghrelin
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Normal weight obesity
  • Obesity paradox
  • Body mass index