title: Ectopic fat: the true culprit linking obesity and cardiovascular disease?
abstract: Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and its complications. However, not all fat depots share the same characteristics. Recent studies have found that ectopic rather than subcutaneous fat accumulation is associated with increased cardiometabolic risk. However, ectopic fat accumulation can be seen initially as a protective mechanism against lipotoxicity. Subsequently the adipose tissue becomes dysfunctional, thus inducing systemic metabolic alterations (through release of cytokines) or specific organ dysfunctions. The purpose of this review is to summarise the current available data on the impact of excess adiposity vs ectopic fat in the development of cardio-metabolic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Amalia Gastaldelli, PhD, Head of Cardiometabolic Risk Unit, Institute of Clinical Physiology, via Moruzzi 1, 56100 Pisa, Italy, Tel.: +39 050 3152680/79, Fax: +39 050 3152166, E-mail: amalia@ifc.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.forename: Melania
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaggini
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Daniele
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marraccini
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sicari
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gastaldelli
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002828:Choristoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines