Adiposopathy is a more rational treatment target for metabolic disease than obesity alone.

Author: Bays H, Dujovne CA

Author affiliation: L-MARC Research Center, 3288 Illinois Avenue, Louisville, KY 40213, USA. HBaysMD@aol.com

Publication date & source: 2006.03, Curr Atheroscler Rep., 8(2):144-56.

Publication type: Review

Current guidelines recommend that weight-loss therapy should be primarily based upon specific body mass index (BMI) cut-off limits. However, in the adipocentric paradigm, it is acknowledged that co-morbidities, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, occur at all levels of BMI. Excessive fat mass (adiposity) in genetically susceptible individuals results in fat dysfunction (adiposopathy), which then contributes to metabolic disorders that increase the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In this paradigm, the term "anti-obesity" treatment might best be replaced by "anti-adiposopathy" treatment, wherein the focus is not based solely on BMI, but instead directed towards physiologically improving fat cell function and clinically improving the metabolic health of patients. This may occur through appropriate diet, physical exercise, and other lifestyle changes, and/or from drug therapies. Cannabinoid receptor antagonists and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor agonists are examples of agents that physiologically improve fat function and clinically improve metabolic disease.