Obesity: pathophysiology and clinical management

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Metabolic Diseases
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Obesity affects 25-33% of developed populations, posing significant socioeconomic and clinical challenges.
• It is linked to severe comorbidities like diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
• Key etiological factors include genetics, environment, diet, and physical activity levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of obesity pathophysiology.
• To discuss current and experimental therapeutic strategies for obesity management.
• To highlight recent advancements in understanding energy balance and novel drug targets.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of obesity pathophysiology and treatment modalities.
• Classification of anti-obesity drugs based on their mechanism of action.
• Discussion of adipocyte functions and their endocrine roles.

Main Results:

• Adipocytes play crucial roles in fat storage and secrete hormones like leptin, IL-6, adiponectin, and resistin.
• Anti-obesity drugs are categorized into appetite suppressants, fat absorption inhibitors, thermogenesis stimulators, and fat mobilization stimulators.
• Appetite suppressants include noradrenergic, serotoninergic, and mixed agents.

Conclusions:

• Understanding the central neural control of energy balance is key to combating obesity.
• Current treatment strategies encompass various drug classes targeting different aspects of energy homeostasis.
• Future research focuses on developing novel anti-obesity drugs by identifying promising therapeutic targets.