Review Overnutrition, ectopic lipid and the metabolic syndrome Scott M Grundy Correspondence to ABSTRACT metabolic processes and predisposes to meta- Dr Scott M Grundy, Internal The metabolic syndrome is a constellation of bolic risk factors.6 Excess lipid in adipose tissue Medicine, UT Southwestsern Medical Center, Dallas, TX metabolic risk factors including atherogenic is called obesity; in other tissues, it is called 75390-9052, USA; scott. dyslipidemia (elevated serum triglycerides, reduced ectopic lipid. In this document, overnutrition
[email protected] high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol), elevated will be defined as the any excess of nutrient blood pressure, dysglycemia (insulin resistance and energy that causes ectopic lipid accumulation Accepted 29 April 2016 elevated serum glucose), a pro-inflammatory state, outside adipose tissue. The essential pathways Published Online First 18 May 2016 and a prothrombotic state. Most persons with whereby overnutrition drives development of metabolic syndrome are obese, and usually have ectopic lipid are shown in figure 1. Excess Copyright © 2016 American fl Federation for Medical abdominal obesity. Generally, obesity is a re ection nutrients come from either dietary triglyceride Research of overnutrition. A current view is that when adipose or carbohydrate. Dietary triglyceride enters the tissue fails to store all excess nutrients as circulation with chylomicrons. Triglycerides are triglyceride, lipid begins to accumulate in various hydrolyzed to fatty acids by lipoprotein lipase tissues (eg, muscle, liver, pancreas, and heart). (LPL); and most of released fatty acids enter This accumulation is called ectopic lipid. Various adipose tissue, where they are re-esterified to mechanisms have been proposed whereby ectopic triglyceride. A portion of fatty acids released by lipid is detrimental in different tissues; these LPL bypasses adipose tissue and enters a variety derangements induce metabolic risk factors.