Leptin and the clinical cardiovascular risk.
Obesity is a universal health problem of increasing prevalence and represents a major public health concern. Obesity is associated with a high risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases such as hypertension, coronary atherosclerosis, myocardial hypertrophy, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. There has been an ongoing search for mediators between obesity and cardiovascular disease. Leptin is a novel and very promising molecule of research that may link these pathologic conditions. Since its discovery in 1994, major advances have been made in the understanding of neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating appetite, metabolism, adiposity, sympathetic tone and blood pressure. In this review, we discuss the physiological and pathophysiological roles of leptin in the causation of various cardiovascular diseases.
Singh
Mukesh
M
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago Medical School, North Chicago, IL 60068, United States. drmukehsingh@yahoo.com
Bedi
Updesh S
US
Singh
Param P
PP
Arora
Rohit
R
Khosla
Sandeep
S
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors
D020738:Leptin