The Role of Sarcopenic Obesity in Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease: A Synthesis of the Evidence on Pathophysiological Aspects and Clinical Implications.

Erika Aparecida Silveira,Nizal Sarrafzadegan,Maria Claudia Bernardes Spexoto,Fahimeh Haghighatdoost,Rômulo Roosevelt Da Silva Filho,Cesar De Oliveira

doi:10.3390/ijms22094339

Abstract

Obesity is globally a serious public health concern and is associated with a high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and various types of cancers. It is important to evaluate various types of obesity, such as visceral and sarcopenic obesity. The evidence on the associated risk of CVD, cancer and sarcopenic obesity, including pathophysiological aspects, occurrence, clinical implications and survival, needs further investigation. Sarcopenic obesity is a relatively new term. It is a clinical condition that primarily affects older adults. There are several endocrine-hormonal, metabolic and lifestyle aspects involved in the occurrence of sarcopenic obesity that affect pathophysiological aspects that, in turn, contribute to CVD and neoplasms. However, there is no available evidence on the role of sarcopenic obesity in the occurrence of CVD and cancer and its pathophysiological interplay. Therefore, this review aims to describe the pathophysiological aspects and the clinical and epidemiological evidence on the role of sarcopenic obesity related to the occurrence and mortality risk of various types of cancer and cardiovascular disease. This literature review highlights the need for further research on sarcopenic obesity to demonstrate the interrelation of these various associations.

Highlights

Obesity is globally a serious public health concern associated with a high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and various types of cancer [1,2,3]
A recent study that summarized [4] the epidemiological evidence on visceral obesity and its risk for these outcomes clearly demonstrated that it increases the risk of some types of cancer, such as colorectal, pancreatic and gastroesophageal cancer
There is a clear need for studies that investigate other types of obesity, such as sarcopenic obesity, which increases the risk of CVD and cancer, which are globally the highest causes of mortality, before the COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

Introduction

Obesity is globally a serious public health concern associated with a high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and various types of cancer [1,2,3]. A recent study that summarized [4] the epidemiological evidence on visceral obesity and its risk for these outcomes clearly demonstrated that it increases the risk of some types of cancer, such as colorectal, pancreatic and gastroesophageal cancer. Despite the overwhelming body of evidence on the risk of CVD in obese individuals, this association disappears for visceral obesity when the risk is assessed by gender and in older adults [4]. There is a clear need for studies that investigate other types of obesity, such as sarcopenic obesity, which increases the risk of CVD and cancer, which are globally the highest causes of mortality, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Conclusion