Physiopathological mechanisms related to inflammation in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus pose global health problems that are ever-increasing. A chronic low-grade inflammatory status and the presence of various pro-inflammatory markers either in circulation or within dysfunctional metabolic tissues are well established. The presence of these factors can, to some extent, predict disease development and progression. A central role is played by the presence of dysfunctional adipose tissue, liver dysfunction, and skeletal muscle dysfunction, which collectively contribute to the increased circulatory levels of proinflammatory factors. Weight loss and classical metabolic interventions achieve a decrease in many of these factors’ circulating levels, implying that a better understanding of the processes or even the modulation of inflammation may alleviate these diseases. This review suggests that inflammation plays a significant role in the development and progression of these conditions and that measuring inflammatory markers may be useful for assessing disease risk and development of future treatment methods.