Metabolic syndrome, inflammation and atherosclerosis - the role of adipokines in health and in systemic inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

Cardiovascular (CV) events are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases. It has been hypothesized that, in addition to the traditional CV risk factors, inflammation is a major contributor to atherogenesis. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) stands for a cluster of risk factors associated with insulin resistance and increased abdominal fat. Inflammation and MetS are intimately linked. Inflammatory biomarkers are frequently elevated in people with MetS and, conversely, the prevalence of MetS is higher in patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Inflammatory cytokines impair insulin sensitivity and can induce an adverse lipoprotein profile as seen in MetS. Furthermore, the presence of MetS correlates with increased subclinical atherosclerosis, major adverse CV events and death, making an important contribution to the CV burden in inflammatory diseases. Adipose tissue has recently emerged as an active organ that produces and secretes numerous mediators - adipokines - particularly relevant in energy homeostasis, inflammation, immune regulation and angiogenesis. These mediators arise as a potential link between MetS, inflammation and atherogenesis. Understanding the complex regulation and function of adipokines in health and disease is a priority since it may lead to new preventive and therapeutic interventions aiming to decrease CV risk.