ABSTRACT
Abdominal obesity represents a public health concern because its prevalence is reaching
epidemic proportions worldwide, and it is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular
morbidity and mortality and other pathological conditions. A large body of evidence
suggests that abdominal obesity is associated with a prothrombotic tendency, which
may, at least in part, contribute to the increased risk of atherothrombosis in these
individuals. This review briefly summarizes the evidence of direct and indirect effects
of the accumulation of excess lipid in visceral adipose tissue on coagulation and
fibrinolysis. In addition, this article critically appraises the rapidly expanding
body of experimental and clinical data that support a potential direct contribution
for the accumulation of excess lipid in the liver (i.e., nonalcoholic fatty liver
disease, a very frequent pathological condition in subjects with abdominal obesity)
in the pathogenesis of the obesity-induced disorders of coagulation and fibrinolysis.
KEYWORDS
Abdominal obesity - blood coagulation disorders - hemostatic factors - inflammation
- insulin resistance - nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
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Dr. Giovanni Targher
Section of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical and Surgical Sciences, University
of Verona
Ospedale Civile Maggiore, Piazzale Stefani, 1, 37126 Verona, Italy
Email: giovanni.targher@univr.it