Visceral adiposity syndrome and cardiometabolism

  • Heno F Lopes Heart Institute Medical School, Universidade de sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
  • Brent M Egan University of South Carolina School of Medicine - Greenville, Greenville, SC, USA
Keywords: Visceral adiposity, Sympathetic nervous system, Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, Cardiometabolism

Abstract


The distribution of fat in the human body is related to hemodynamic and metabolic homeostasis. Brown fat is inversely related to body mass index and is associated with a lower probability of developing diabetes. Beige adipose tissue shares some functional characteristics with brown adipose tissue. White adipose tissue constitutes the majority of the fatty tissue and is mainly distributed in the subcutaneous and abdominal cavity. Intra-abdominal white fat has gained prominence in recent years for its association with cardiovascular risk factors and higher cardiovascular mortality. This review article discusses the human adaptation in the environment, a sympathovagal and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal imbalance as a possible cause of increased visceral adiposity and its consequences on cardiometabolism.

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Published
2021/06/29
Section
Review article