Roever L, Casella-Filho A, Dourado PMM and Chagas ACP
Ectopic fat may cause anatomic and functional abnormalities in adipocyte and adipose tissue, resulting in imbalances in the endocrine and immune system. Adiposopathy may contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD) through pericardiac and perivascular effects on the myocardium and blood vessels. Adiposopathy may also indirectly contribute to CVD promoting or worsening major CVD risk factors such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia. CVD is the most common cause of mortality among overweight individuals, but the pathophysiologic relationship between adiposity and CVD still is poorly understood, as evidenced by “obesity paradoxes”. Underlying this uncertainty are suggestions that excessive body fat does not always increase the risk of CVD and, in some cases, may actually decrease such risks. This review aims to address the recent aspects of the relationships between ectopic fat, inflammation and CVD.