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Pharmacological Research Aug 2017Obesity and in particular the excessive visceral fat distribution is accompanied by several alterations at hormonal, inflammatory and endothelial level. These... (Review)
Review
Obesity and in particular the excessive visceral fat distribution is accompanied by several alterations at hormonal, inflammatory and endothelial level. These alterations induce a stimulation of several other mechanisms that contribute to the hypertensive state and on the other side to increase the cardiovascular morbidity. In these chapter we will examine the main mechanisms of obesity and obesity-related hypertension and in particular the role of sympathetic nervous system, the alterations of the renal function and at the microvascular level. We will also depict the role of insulin resistance as factor stimulating and potentiating the other mechanisms. The second part will be focalized on the major target organ damage linked with obesity and obesity-related hypertension. We will finally describe the management and treatment of obesity and the antihypertensive drug therapies more effective in hypertensive obeses.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Obesity Agents; Arteries; Bariatric Surgery; Diet Therapy; Heart; Humans; Hypertension; Hypoglycemic Agents; Life Style; Obesity
PubMed: 28532816
DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2017.05.013 -
Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) Jan 2019The global obesity epidemic continues its relentless advance, currently affecting >2 billion people. This paper explores alternative ways to assess the potential disease...
The global obesity epidemic continues its relentless advance, currently affecting >2 billion people. This paper explores alternative ways to assess the potential disease impact of the epidemic, which is currently based almost exclusively on body mass index (BMI) data. It also argues in favor of concerted efforts to modify the built ecosystem that is driving the obesity epidemic. Most of the epidemiologic data on obesity are based on BMI (in kg/m2) and use the ranges of 18.5-24.9 for normality, 25-29.9 for overweight, and ≥30 for obesity. But the gap between the median of the "normal" BMI distribution (∼22) and the current population BMI of, for example, the United States (27.7) has become so wide that it is unlikely that we will be able to close that gap in the near future. Furthermore, the correlation between BMI and disease risk is not linear. Over 60% of the global disease burden of obesity affects individuals with a BMI ≥30, who comprise only ∼10% of the global population of overweight/obese persons. Furthermore, BMI accounts for only ∼17% of the risk of insulin resistance and subsequent type 2 diabetes in the BMI ≥25 population. Epigenetics, specifically DNA methylation, appears to play a far more important role than BMI in determining the risk of obesity's comorbidities, such as diabetes. Similarly, socioeconomic status carries a higher risk than BMI level for the development of obesity-related noncommunicable diseases. Finally, the built environment that sustains our species' lifestyle is a major driver of the obesity epidemic. Modifying that ecosystem will require no less than a social movement, one able to promote and sustain the necessary coordinated action of virtually all sectors of society.
Topics: Body Mass Index; Comorbidity; Cost of Illness; DNA Methylation; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Ecosystem; Environment Design; Epigenesis, Genetic; Global Health; Humans; Insulin Resistance; Life Style; Obesity; Social Class
PubMed: 30721956
DOI: 10.1093/advances/nmy055 -
European Journal of Haematology Mar 2021The prevalence of obesity is increasing and progressively influencing physician-patient interactions. While there is a sizable amount of data demonstrating that obesity... (Review)
Review
The prevalence of obesity is increasing and progressively influencing physician-patient interactions. While there is a sizable amount of data demonstrating that obesity is a state of low-grade inflammation, to our knowledge, there is no single review summarizing its effects on hematologic parameters and thrombotic risk. We performed a literature search which largely surfaced observational studies, with a few systematic reviews and meta-analyses of these studies. We took care to review the mechanisms driving an inflammatory state and obesity's effect on white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, and thrombotic risk. There is an observed relative, and sometimes absolute leukocytosis driven by this inflammatory state. Obesity is also associated with increased platelet counts and an increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Lastly, the association between obesity, iron deficiency (ID), and red blood cell counts may be present but remains uncertain. Recognizing the above associations may provide clinicians with reassurance regarding otherwise unexplained hematologic abnormalities in obese individuals. We hope this review will prompt future studies to further understand the underlying mechanisms driving these abnormalities and identify modifiable risk factors and potential therapeutic targets to prevent the development of probable obesity-associated conditions with significant morbidity and mortality, such as ID and VTE.
Topics: Adipose Tissue; Animals; Biomarkers; Cytokines; Disease Susceptibility; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammation Mediators; Leukocyte Count; Leukocytosis; Obesity; Sex Factors
PubMed: 33270290
DOI: 10.1111/ejh.13560 -
Lancet (London, England) Apr 2023The goal of obesity management is to improve health. Sustained weight loss of more than 10% overall bodyweight improves many of the complications associated with obesity... (Review)
Review
The goal of obesity management is to improve health. Sustained weight loss of more than 10% overall bodyweight improves many of the complications associated with obesity (eg, prevention and control of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, and obstructive sleep apnoea), as well as quality of life. Maintenance of weight loss is the major challenge of obesity management. Like all chronic diseases, managing obesity requires a long-term, multimodal approach, taking into account each individual's treatment goals, and the benefit and risk of different therapies. In conjunction with lifestyle interventions, anti-obesity medications and bariatric surgery improve the maintenance of weight loss and associated health gains. Most available anti-obesity medications act on central appetite pathways to reduce hunger and food reward. In the past 5 years, therapeutic advances have seen the development of targeted treatments for monogenic obesities and a new generation of anti-obesity medications. These highly effective anti-obesity medications are associated with weight losses of more than 10% of overall bodyweight in more than two-thirds of clinical trial participants. Long-term data on safety, efficacy, and cardiovascular outcomes are awaited. Long-term studies have shown that bariatric surgical procedures typically lead to a durable weight loss of 25% and rapid, sustained improvements in complications of obesity, although they have not yet been compared with new-generation highly effective anti-obesity medications. Further work is required to determine optimal patient-specific treatment strategies, including combinations of lifestyle interventions, anti-obesity medications, endoscopic and bariatric surgical procedures, and to ensure equitable access to effective treatments.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Quality of Life; Obesity; Bariatric Surgery; Anti-Obesity Agents; Body Weight; Weight Loss
PubMed: 36774932
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)02403-5 -
Circulation Research May 2020This review addresses the interplay between obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases. It is proposed that obesity, generally defined by an excess... (Review)
Review
This review addresses the interplay between obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases. It is proposed that obesity, generally defined by an excess of body fat causing prejudice to health, can no longer be evaluated solely by the body mass index (expressed in kg/m) because it represents a heterogeneous entity. For instance, several cardiometabolic imaging studies have shown that some individuals who have a normal weight or who are overweight are at high risk if they have an excess of visceral adipose tissue-a condition often accompanied by accumulation of fat in normally lean tissues (ectopic fat deposition in liver, heart, skeletal muscle, etc). On the other hand, individuals who are overweight or obese can nevertheless be at much lower risk than expected when faced with excess energy intake if they have the ability to expand their subcutaneous adipose tissue mass, particularly in the gluteal-femoral area. Hence, excessive amounts of visceral adipose tissue and of ectopic fat largely define the cardiovascular disease risk of overweight and moderate obesity. There is also a rapidly expanding subgroup of patients characterized by a high accumulation of body fat (severe obesity). Severe obesity is characterized by specific additional cardiovascular health issues that should receive attention. Because of the difficulties of normalizing body fat content in patients with severe obesity, more aggressive treatments have been studied in this subgroup of individuals such as obesity surgery, also referred to as metabolic surgery. On the basis of the above, we propose that we should refer to obesities rather than obesity.
Topics: Animals; Cardiovascular Diseases; Diabetes Mellitus; Humans; Obesity
PubMed: 32437302
DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.120.316101 -
Obesity Reviews : An Official Journal... Aug 2004The epidemic rise in obesity has fuelled the current debate over its classification as a disease. Contrary to just being a medical condition or risk factor for other... (Review)
Review
The epidemic rise in obesity has fuelled the current debate over its classification as a disease. Contrary to just being a medical condition or risk factor for other diseases, obesity is a complex disease of multifaceted aetiology, with its own disabling capacities, pathophysiologies and comorbidities. It meets the medical definition of disease in that it is a physiological dysfunction of the human organism with environmental, genetic and endocrinological aetiologies. It is a response to environmental stimuli, genetic predisposition and abnormalities, and has a characteristic set of signs and symptoms with consistent anatomical alterations. Excess adipose tissue increases the work of the heart and leads to anatomical changes in this organ. It alters pulmonary, endocrine and immunological functions, all with adverse effects on health. Some of the complications of obesity include cardiovascular disease, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, obstructive pulmonary disease, arthritis and cancer. Given the excess mortality, substantial morbidity and the economic toll of obesity, this is a disease that warrants serious attention by the medical community. Obesity's status and acceptance as a disease is pivotal in determining its treatment, reimbursement for treatment and the development of widespread interventions.
Topics: Body Composition; Environment; Humans; Immunity; Insulin Resistance; Joint Diseases; Obesity; Respiration; Risk Factors
PubMed: 15245383
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2004.00144.x -
Fertility and Sterility Apr 2017The worldwide upward trend in obesity has been dramatic, now affecting more than 20% of American women of reproductive age. Obesity is associated with many adverse... (Review)
Review
The worldwide upward trend in obesity has been dramatic, now affecting more than 20% of American women of reproductive age. Obesity is associated with many adverse maternal and fetal effects prenatally, but it also exerts a negative influence on female fertility. Obese women are more likely to have ovulatory dysfunction due to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome who are also obese demonstrate a more severe metabolic and reproductive phenotype. Obese women have reduced fecundity even when eumenorrheic and demonstrate poorer outcomes with the use of in vitro fertilization. Obesity appears to affect the oocyte and the preimplantation embryo, with disrupted meiotic spindle formation and mitochondrial dynamics. Excess free fatty acids may have a toxic effect in reproductive tissues, leading to cellular damage and a chronic low-grade inflammatory state. Altered levels of adipokines, such as leptin, in the obese state can affect steroidogenesis and directly affect the developing embryo. The endometrium is also susceptible, with evidence of impaired stromal decidualization in obese women. This may explain subfecundity due to impaired receptivity, and may lead to placental abnormalities as manifested by higher rates of miscarriage, stillbirth, and preeclampsia in the obese population. Many interventions have been explored to mitigate the effect of obesity on infertility, including weight loss, physical activity, dietary factors, and bariatric surgery. These data are largely mixed, with few high quality studies to guide us. As we improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of obesity in human reproduction we hope to identify novel treatment strategies.
Topics: Adipose Tissue; Adiposity; Bariatric Surgery; Diet; Female; Fertility; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Healthy Lifestyle; Humans; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Infertility, Female; Lipid Metabolism; Obesity; Oocytes; Ovary; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Risk Reduction Behavior; Sedentary Behavior; Weight Loss
PubMed: 28292619
DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2017.01.017 -
Journal of Clinical Research in... May 2023Obesity derives from impaired central control of body weight, implying interaction between environment and an individual genetic predisposition. Genetic obesities,... (Review)
Review
Obesity derives from impaired central control of body weight, implying interaction between environment and an individual genetic predisposition. Genetic obesities, including monogenic and syndromic obesities, are rare and complex neuro-endocrine pathologies where the genetic contribution is predominant. Severe and early-onset obesity with eating disorders associated with frequent comorbidities make these diseases challenging. Their current estimated prevalence of 5-10% in severely obese children is probably underestimated due to the limited access to genetic diagnosis. A central alteration of hypothalamic regulation of weight implies that the leptin-melanocortin pathway is responsible for the symptoms. The management of genetic obesity has so far been only based, above all, on lifestyle intervention, especially regarding nutrition and physical activity. New therapeutic options have emerged in the last years for these patients, raising great hope to manage their complex situation and improve quality of life. Implementation of genetic diagnosis in clinical practice is thus of paramount importance to allow individualized care. This review describes the current clinical management of genetic obesity and the evidence on which it is based. Some insights will also be provided into new therapies under evaluation.
Topics: Pediatric Obesity; Humans; Child; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Male; Female; Quality of Life; Bariatric Surgery; Exercise; Diet, Healthy; Anti-Obesity Agents
PubMed: 37191347
DOI: 10.4274/jcrpe.galenos.2023.2023-3-2 -
The Indian Journal of Medical Research Jan 2020Obesity is a serious medical condition worldwide, which needs new approaches and recognized international consensus in treating diseases leading to morbidity. The aim of... (Review)
Review
Obesity is a serious medical condition worldwide, which needs new approaches and recognized international consensus in treating diseases leading to morbidity. The aim of this review was to examine heterogeneous links among the various phenotypes of obesity in adults. Proteins and associated genes in each group were analysed to differentiate between biomarkers. A variety of terms for classification and characterization within this pathology are currently in use; however, there is no clear consensus in terminology. The most significant groups reviewed include metabolically healthy obese, metabolically abnormal obese, metabolically abnormal, normal weight and sarcopenic obese. These phenotypes do not define particular genotypes or epigenetic gene regulation, or proteins related to inflammation. There are many other genes linked to obesity, though the value of screening all of those for diagnosis has low predictive results, as there are no significant biomarkers. It is important to establish a consensus in the terminology used and the characteristics attributed to obesity subtypes. The identification of specific molecular biomarkers is also required for better diagnosis in subtypes of obesity.
Topics: Adult; Biomarkers; Genotype; Humans; Obesity; Phenotype; Proteins
PubMed: 32134010
DOI: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1768_17 -
The Nursing Clinics of North America Dec 2021
Topics: Global Health; Health Care Costs; Health Policy; Humans; Nurse's Role; Obesity; Overweight
PubMed: 34749902
DOI: 10.1016/j.cnur.2021.08.004