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Review
. 2012 Apr;52(4):840-7.
doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2011.08.018. Epub 2011 Aug 26.

Influence of obesity and metabolic dysfunction on the endothelial control in the coronary circulation

Eric J Belin de Chantemele  1 , David W Stepp
Affiliations
Review

Influence of obesity and metabolic dysfunction on the endothelial control in the coronary circulation

Eric J Belin de Chantemele et al. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 2012 Apr.

Abstract

Diseases of the coronary circulation remain the leading cause of death in Western society despite impressive advances in diagnosis, pharmacotherapy and post-event management. Part of this statistic likely stems from a parallel increase in the prevalence of obesity and metabolic dysfunction, both significant risk factors for coronary disease. Obesity and diabetes pose unique challenges for the heart and their impact on the coronary vasculature remains incompletely understood. The vascular endothelium is a major interface between arterial function and the physical and chemical components of blood flow. Proper function of the endothelium is necessary to preserve hemostasis, maintain vascular tone and limit the extent of vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. Given its central role in vascular health, endothelial dysfunction has been the source of considerable research interest in diabetes and obesity. In the current review, we will examine the pathologic impact of obesity and diabetes on coronary function and the extent to which these two factors impact endothelial function. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Coronary Blood Flow".

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures: I hereby confirm that any and all potential conflicts of interest have been fully and properly disclosed in the manuscript as outlined.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effects of obesity and diabetes on the prevalence of coronary heart disease in adults. From Alexander et al, 2003 [2]. Reproduced with permission.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effects of obesity on coronary flow velocity reserve in health young men. From Kiviniemi et al, 2008 [47]. Reproduced with permission.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The impact of obesity and insulin resistance on endothelial NO production and action.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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