Metabolic obesity, adipocytokines, and inflammatory markers in Asian Indians-CURES-124

Despite the fact that obesity is a major risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, it has now been recognized that a proportion of obese individuals display a healthy cardiometabolic profile. In contrast, a proportion of lean individuals have been shown to portray an increased risk for cardiometabolic complications. These distinct sub-phenotypes of obese and lean individuals are referred to as metabolically healthy obese (MHO) and the metabolically obese, non-obese (MONO) phenotypes. We have shown that the MONO phenotypes are characterized by increased levels of pro-inflammatory mediators and reduced levels of anti-inflammatory adipokine adiponectin. The clinical relevance of these sub-phenotypes of obesity and the issues related to the categorization of metabolic obesity  are also discussed in this research highlight. The health outcomes related to these phenotypes and their differential response to interventions should also be characterized.