Circular RNAs in Metabolic Diseases

Prevalence rates of metabolic diseases, such as obesity, the metabolic syndrome (MetS), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and diabetes mellitus (DM), have been rising continuously. So far, the underlying disease mechanisms are still not fully understood. However, over the last years, evidence emerged that circRNAs may be regulators of metabolic diseases and related mechanisms. Several studies have been conducted analysing the impact of circRNAs in obesity, NAFLD and DM, while solely few investigated circRNAs pertaining to the MetS. Here, we highlight circRNAs described to be relevant for the respective disease pathogenesis.