Abstract
The metabolic syndrome has received worldwide recognition and is useful clinical aid in early-preventing atherosclerosis. Visceral adiposity is the main component of the metabolic syndrome in Japan, based on ethnic and racial difference in the pattern of adiposity. In the Amagasaki Visceral Fat Study, subjects had undergone annual health check-ups and then received health education by medical personnel. Visceral fat reduction improved hypoadiponectinemia and the number of obesity-related cardiovascular risk factors, and effectively prevented cardiovascular events. The health education that includes voluntary lifestyle modification aimed at reducing visceral fat could be useful in preventing cardiovascular events in the metabolic syndrome.
Highlights
Adipocytes store excess energy as triglyceride, and function as part of the self-defense system against starvation
Recent advances in research on adipocyte biology have demonstrated that adipocytes synthesize and secrete into the circulation various bioactive substances known as adipocytokines, including angiogenic factors, cytokines, complement factors and anti-diabetic, anti-atherogenic factors, and adiponectin [1]
Evaluation of visceral adiposity, such as measurement of waist circumference, and of visceral fat area, using visceral fat belt [3], was added to the annual medical health check-up. Part of such health education program is run by the public health nurses, who provide the individual with scientific information on the risk factors associated with visceral fat accumulation, clustering of multiple risk factors, vascular damage, and health problems including atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ACVD) events (Figure 1A)
Summary
Adipocytes store excess energy as triglyceride, and function as part of the self-defense system against starvation. In Japanese, accumulation of intra-abdominal visceral fat rather than absolute body fat mass seems to be culprit of lifestyle-related disorders including the metabolic syndrome [2]. These data call for for programs that can reduce the incidence of fatal ACVD events.
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