LAUSR

Although a link between body weight, obesity and cardiovascular risk is generally accepted, the right scientific way to assess and correlate the content of abdominal fat with cardiovascular risk factors and mortality rates is still being analysed and debated. Epidemiological studies have shown that abdominal obesity is positively correlated with various cardiovascular risk factors, including systolic blood pressure and triglycerides levels, in adult men and women, as well as in obese children. Recent studies using the radiodensity of tissues measured by computed tomography have demonstrated that the density, and hence quality, of a specific adipose tissue may be more informative and sensitive to predicting cardiovascular risk than the volume and quantity of fat. In 1993, Spiegelman and co-workers published an important study in which they demonstrated that adipose tissue directly contributes to systemic inflammation by secreting a pro-inflammatory cytokine, thereby linking obesity to insulin resistance and diabetes. Follow-up studies showed that adipose tissue has important functions in metabolism and inflammation via the secretion of various adipokines, including hormones and inflammatory cytokines. In 2003, two different groups showed that a large contribution of the inflammatory state in adipose tissue is attributable to adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs).