title: Adipose Tissue Dysfunction: Clinical Relevance and Diagnostic Possibilities.
abstract: Adipose tissue dysfunction is defined as an imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory adipokines, causing insulin resistance, systemic low-grade inflammation, hypercoagulability, and elevated blood pressure. These can lead to cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus type 2. Although quantity of adipose tissue is an important determinant of adipose tissue dysfunction, it can be diagnosed in both obese and lean individuals. This implies that not only quantity of adipose tissue should be used as a measure for adipose tissue dysfunction. Instead, focus should be on measuring quality of adipose tissue, which can be done with diagnostic modalities ranging from anthropometric measurements to tissue biopsies and advanced imaging techniques. In daily clinical practice, high quantity of visceral adipose tissue (reflected in high waist circumference or adipose tissue imaging), insulin resistance, or presence of the metabolic syndrome are easy and low-cost diagnostic modalities to evaluate presence or absence of adipose tissue dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Schrover
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Spiering
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Leiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F L J
authors.initials: FLJ
authors.lastname: Visseren
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines / Q000032:analysis; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines