title: [Insulin resistance: the adipose tissue in the focus].
abstract: Insulin resistance is defined as a state of subnormal biological response to normal quantity of insulin. It is the central pathogenetic factor of type 2 diabetes and the more complex clinical entity of metabolic syndrome. Its clinical significance is the potential of increasing cardiovascular risk at a considerable level. In the background of insulin resistance alterations of the adipose tissue can be observed which means abdominal obesity in most of the cases, however paradoxically it also causes metabolic disturbances characteristic of metabolic syndrome in certain lipodystrophic diseases. Several similarities can be observed between metabolic syndrome and Cushing's syndrome. Current article discusses the explanation of these issues, the pathophysiologic link between adipose tissue and insulin resistance. It also reviews the therapeutic aspects of insulin resistance emphasizing the role of thiazolidinedione type drugs having recently joined the therapeutic palette.
authors.affiliation: GlaxoSmithKline Kft.
authors.forename: Elemér
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Urich
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D006984:Hypertrophy; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D045162:Thiazolidinediones / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D047495:PPAR gamma; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; C089946:2,4-thiazolidinedione