[Adipose tissue--an endocrine organ].

The incidence of obesity has increased dramatically during recent decades. Obesity increases the risk for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases and may therefore contribute to premature death. With increasing fat mass, secretion of adipose tissue derived bioactive molecules (adipokines) changes towards a proinflammatory, diabetogenic and atherogenic pattern. Adipokines are involved in the regulation of appetite and satiety, energy expenditure, activity, endothelial function, hemostasis, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, energy metabolism in insulin sensitive tissues, adipogenesis, fat distribution and insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells. Therefore, adipokines are clinically relevant as biomarkers for fat distribution, adipose tissue function, liver fat content, insulin sensitivity and chronic inflammation and have the potential for future pharmacological treatment strategies for obesity and related diseases. This review focuses on the clinical relevance of selected adipokines as markers or predictors of obesity-related diseases and as potential therapeutic tools or targets in metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.