title: Obesity and target organ damage: diabetes.
abstract: Obesity is an important risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes. The increasing incidence of obesity accounts in large part for the emergence of type 2 diabetes. Drug treatment of hyperglycaemia and hypertension lowers the risk of diabetic complications, but many of these treatments, including sulphonylureas, insulin and beta-blockers, are associated with weight gain. There is increasing evidence that obesity may be an independent risk factor for complications in both type 2 and type 1 diabetes. Therapies to lower body weight will undoubtedly have a role in the treatment of diabetes to potentially avert weight gain associated with anti-diabetic therapies, to lower glycaemia, and possibly even to lower the risk of diabetic complications. However, many questions remain to be answered.
authors.affiliation: Radcliffe Infirmary/University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. amanda.adler@dtu.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D012307:Risk Factors; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents