Andrea Romani
Case Western Reserve University, USA
Title: Metabolic syndrome, obesity, nafld and insulin resistance: how inflammation and dysmetabolism consort to epidemic levels worldwide
Biography
Biography: Andrea Romani
Abstract
The last thirty years have registered a progressive and dramatic increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)rnand obesity in the population of USA and developed countries, as well as developing countries. Combined, these twornmedical conditions affect about one-third of the adult population, as well as adolescent and children, with some differences,rnat times significant, in terms of age, race, ethnicity, and gender. Currently, it is estimated that between 500 million to 1 billionrnpeople worldwide are obese, diabetic, or at risk of developing one or both these conditions. The interplay between obesityrnand T2DM onset are not completely understood, making difficult to establish short- and long-term health guidelines andrntherapeutic approaches that can help containing and possibly reversing the incidence and progression of these conditions.More worrisome, the incidence of the metabolic syndrome has also increased in proportion over the same period of time. Thernterm ‘metabolic syndrome’ refers to a group of risk factors that raises significantly the risk for heart disease and other healthrnproblems including stroke, diabetes, and particular forms of cancer. Currently, liver steatosis, with or without inflammationrn(steatohepatitis) and progression to NAFLD is considered pathognomonic of metabolic syndrome, and represents the mostcommon manifestation of the disease. The etiology of these diseases is multi-facet. From the pathological standpoint, metabolicrnsyndrome, NAFLD, obesity and T2DM are characterized by major lipid dysmetabolism both systemic and within liver and adipose tissue. Inflammation is a key component of these pathologies, in that enhanced levels of inflammatory cytokines havernbeen observed both systemically and within specific organs, in which they impair insulin responsiveness and hematic glucosernhomeostasis.Altogether, metabolic syndrome, NAFLD, obesity and insulin resistance pose major financial burdens on the affected individuals, and on the medical and productive systems of the various countries. The predisposition to various complications and the associated financial costs for their treatment point to the necessity to better understand the underlying causes of these diseases and to identify more effective therapeutic approaches and treatments.