Abdominal obesity: an indicator of cardiometabolic risk

Abdominal obesity (AO), together with insulin resistance, forms the pathophysiological basis of metabolic syndrome. Excess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) plays a key role in the comorbidity associated with AO. Multiorgan steatosis promotes insulin resistance, oxidative stress and inflammation, giving rise to endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. Excess VAT leads to a metabolic risk profile regardless of body mass index. Recent epidemiological studies confirm the need to measure waist circumference when evaluating obese patients and to include this value and metabolic syndrome parameters in scales to assess cardiometabolic risk. The pathogenic capacity of AO should be taken into account when evaluating any condition in which reducing cardiometabolic risk is a preventive or therapeutic goal.