Getting at the Heart of Central Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome

Adiposity, body composition and ventricular–arterial stiffness in the elderly: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

“…19, 39, 40 These associations appears to be stronger for central obesity and visceral adiposity, and may involve multiple pathways, such as insulin resistance and increased oxidative stress leading to impaired myocardial relaxation, activation of the neuroendocrine and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone systems, chronic increase in preload and afterload leading to changes in LV mass and geometry, and cardiac lipotoxicity (see bellow). 38, 39, 41–44 Moreover, Wohlfahrt et al demonstrated that weight gain was associated with significant increase in LV diastolic stiffness, and that central obesity was associated with increased age-related LV systolic stiffening, as reflected by LV end-systolic elastance. 10 As subclinical systolic and diastolic LV dysfunction and ventricular-arterial stiffness are predecessors of HF, they underscore the clinical implications of the adverse effects of obesity.…”

Obese Mice with Dyslipidemia Exhibit Meibomian Gland Hypertrophy and Alterations in Meibum Composition and Aqueous Tear Production

“…Obesity has reached epidemic levels, affecting about 2 billion adults and 42 million children globally, and the associated complications, including type 2 diabetes, are on the rise [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. In the United States alone, the obesity epidemic has been linked to various chronic diseases with high mortality and financial burden.…”

“…In the United States alone, the obesity epidemic has been linked to various chronic diseases with high mortality and financial burden. It is estimated to result in about 300,000 deaths and over USD 100 billion in direct and indirect costs annually [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ].…”

“…As a major component of the metabolic syndrome, obesity is often accompanied by dyslipidemia (abnormal blood lipid profile) [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Most dyslipidemias are hyperlipidemias, characterized by elevated (atherogenic) levels of blood lipids, such as cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins, and/or a reduction in high density lipoproteins.…”

Association between siesta (daytime sleep), dietary patterns and the presence of metabolic syndrome in elderly living in Mediterranean area (MEDIS study): The moderating effect of gender

“…Additionally, this apparent exponential increase in incidence appears to parallel that seen in obesity which has become a modern epidemic challenging public health systems. This has led to numerous studies investigating the pathophysiology underpinning MetS in order to decrease in its rate of incidence (6)(7)(8)(9) A number of lifestyle parameters have been linked to the risk of developing MetS including sedentary lifestyle (10), unhealthy dietary habits (11) and more recently, suboptimal quantities of sleep (12,13) have been associated with higher risk of developing MetS within other health outcomes. More specifically, with respect to physical activity levels, subjects who engage in vigorous physical activity decreased their odds of developing MetS by up to 40% (10), whilst adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet offers further protection against the development of MetS (14).…”