Obesity Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Obesity, including details on health, diet, prevention, exercise.

Cardiac energy metabolism in obesity.

Lopaschuk GD, Folmes CD, Stanley WC

Cardiovascular Research Group, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. gary.lopaschuk@ualberta.ca

Obesity results in marked alterations in cardiac energy metabolism, with a prominent effect being an increase in fatty acid uptake and oxidation by the heart. Obesity also results in dramatic changes in the release of adipokines, such as leptin and adiponectin, both of which have emerged as important regulators of cardiac energy metabolism. The link among obesity, cardiovascular disease, lipid metabolism, and adipokine signaling is complex and not well understood. However, optimizing cardiac energy metabolism in obese subjects may be one approach to preventing and treating cardiac dysfunction that can develop in this population. This review discusses what is presently known about the effects of obesity and the impact adipokines have on cardiac energy metabolism and insulin signaling. The clinical implications of obesity and energy metabolism on cardiac disease are also discussed.

Published 17 August 2007 in Circ Res, 101(4): 335-47.
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