Intra-abdominal adiposity, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk: New insight into global cardiometabolic risk

Increasing evidence supports the role of adipose tissue in the development of a systemic inflammatory state, which contributes to obesity-associated vasculopathy and cardiovascular risk. In addition to storing calories as tri-glycerides, adipocytes secrete a large variety of proteins, including cytokines, chemokines, and hormone-like factors (eg, leptin, adiponectin, resistin). This production of pro chemokines by adipose tissue is of particular interest, because their local secretion by perivascular adipose depots may provide a new mechanistic link between obesity and its associated vascular complications. Insulin resistance, in subjects with or without diabetes, is frequently associated with obesity, particularly with an excess of intra-abdominal fat. Recently, the endocannabinoid system, among others, has been shown to be involved in the pathophysiology of visceral obesity and global cardiometabolic risk, as represented by the overall risk of developing type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.