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CARDIOVASCULAR AND METABOLIC EFFECTS OF OBESITY
Author(s) -
Morris Margaret J
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1681.2008.04912.x
Subject(s) - obesity , medicine , blood pressure , offspring , endocrinology , dilator , pathophysiology of hypertension , metabolic syndrome , physiology , bioinformatics , biology , pregnancy , genetics
SUMMARY1 Obesity is an important risk factor for hypertension and its incidence is increasing around the world. 2 The mechanisms underlying obesity‐related hypertension include sympathetic activation, altered vascular responses, hormonal changes, enhanced inflammatory markers and structural changes. 3 This review summarizes recent evidence of the underlying impact of obesity on blood pressure. A number of candidate mechanisms include increased sympathetic activity, activation of the renin‐angiotensin system, altered vasoconstrictor or dilator responses and the attendant systemic inflammatory state. 4 While adult lifestyle factors undoubtedly contribute to the incidence of obesity and its attendant hypertension, evidence suggests that the programming of obesity may occur following over‐nutrition during development. A growing body of evidence links maternal obesity, offspring obesity and hypertension. 5 Finally, epigenetic modification of genes relevant to hypertension may contribute to the development of hypertension following a suboptimal intrauterine environment. To date the cardiovascular effects of early nutritional changes have been largely investigated following maternal under‐nutrition or protein restriction; further work is necessary to determine the impact of maternal obesity.