Metabesity in Women: Long-term Health Effects

Abstract

Objective of the Review: To present the available data on the impact of obesity on woman’s health and quality of life. Key Points. The term “metabesity” includes a range of conditions associated with obesity and its sequelae. From pathogenic point of view, it is an obesity-associated metabolic aberration: subacute inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and changed gut microbiome. Together with a genetic component, the phenotypes of metabesity are mostly a result of sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating. Metabesity is associated with a number of both health- and life-threatening comorbidities, including arterial hypertension, cardiac failure, myocardial infraction, and stroke. Insulin resistance, hypertensive disease, advanced arteriosclerosis, dyslipidemia and fatty hepatosis are more frequent in obese people than in the general population. This literature overview presents a modern idea of the metabesity impact on the long-term health of a woman. Conclusion. Recently, forecasting and prevention of diseases affecting the quality and duration of life have been attracting more and more interest. Taking into account the regular changes in the gender component of the population with age, obesity and its impact on the health of women from various age categories are of special interest. Obesity increases the risk and overall cancer mortality. Metabesity affects hormonal homoeostasis in the female body and increases the risk of degenerative conditions, including dementia. Taking into account the genetic component, the strategies to tackle metabesity, including a campaign against sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating, should be initiated since early childhood. Lifestyle modification is the only proven way to manage/prevent metabesity and associated diseases. Keywords: metabesity, obesity, metabolic syndrome, female health, cancer, diabetes, insulin resistance.