title: [Visceral obesity].
abstract: Some studies indicate that visceral obesity may be a better predictor of morbidity and mortality related to cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes than general obesity measured by the body mass index. A causal relationship seems to exist between the accumulation of visceral fat and occurence of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Assessment of cardiometabolic risk comprises information on intra-abdominal obesity, as well as traditional risk factors. Visceral fat acts as a large endocrine gland, excreting cytokines and adipokines which leads to insulin resistance and proinflammatory state, whereas subcutaneous fat may act as a protective metabolic sink. Of anthropometric measures, waist circumference seems to best correlate with visceral fat.
authors.affiliation: Zavod za endokrinologiju, Klinika za unutarnje bolesti Medicinskog fakulteta Sveucilista u Zagrebu, KBC Zagreb.
authors.forename: Mirko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korsić
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fister
authors.forename: Davor
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ivanković
authors.forename: Jozo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jelcić
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000150:complications*; D012307:Risk Factors