Abnormal body composition and early biomarkers of metabolic complications

Abstract

Introduction A disturbed balance between energy metabolism and dietary intake is at the basis of obesity-related chronic diseases that rapidly increase in prevalence and pose a high burden on society. In advanced stages, chronic disease progression is characterized by metabolic aberrations and wasting that significantly contributes to complications and physical disability with high medical and nonmedical costs. From a body compositional point of view, the focus in chronic metabolic and cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention is predominantly on adipose tissue, whereas in the course of many chronic diseases, skeletal muscle tissue becomes an important therapeutic target to compress morbidity and enhance survival. Recent experimental and clinical research has shed new light on early biomarkers and metabolic processes within fat and skeletal muscle causing body compositional shifts that may lead to reconsiderations in disease risk perception and modification strategies.