[Obesity and coronary artery disease: role of vascular inflammation].
Obesity is becoming a global epidemic. Around 1.1 billion adults and 10% of the world's children are currently overweight or considered obese. Generally associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as Diabetes Mellitus and systemic arterial high blood pressure, the obesity has been more and more seen as an independent risk factor for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). Coronary arteriosclerosis comprises a series of inflammatory responses at cellular and molecular level, whose reactions are stronger in obese patients. In the past, the adipose tissue was regarded as a mere fat deposition. Now it is seen from a totally different standpoint, as an active endocrine and paracrine organ that produces several inflammatory cytokines, such as the adipokines. This article aims to raise awareness about obesity as an increasingly significant public health issue over the past decades, as well as to relate the intense inflammatory process in obese individuals with an increased tendency for this group of individuals to develop CAD.
Gomes
Fernando
F
Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Telo
Daniela F
DF
Souza
Heraldo P
HP
Nicolau
José Carlos
JC
Halpern
Alfredo
A
Serrano
Carlos V
CV
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000502:physiology; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000502:physiology; D020738:Leptin / Q000502:physiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000150:complications*
D052242:Adiponectin; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D020738:Leptin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein