Metabolically healthy obesity: Is it really benign?

Abstract

Recently, a subgroup of patients with obesity but without cardiometabolic abnormalities has attracted considerable attention and has been characterized as metabolically healthy obese (MHO) patients. MHO is quite prevalent among patients with obesity. Even though these subjects have less pronounced metabolic abnormalities compared with patients with metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO), they are at increased risk for progressing to MUO and for developing cardiovascular disease. Accordingly, diet, exercise and appropriate pharmacotherapy should be recommended to patients with MHO as strongly as in those with MUO.