Phenotypic classification and biochemical profile of obesity for cardiovascular prevention

Obesity is one of the major cardiovascular risk factors. The combination of obesity with other cardiovascular risk factors causes a systemic inflammation that increases the progression of cardiovascular disease. Ectopic fat plays a key role in inflammation and in the production of cytokines. There are various types of obesity and each phenotype has a different cardiometabolic risk. The clinical biochemistry laboratory is extremely relevant in the correct characterization of obesity phenotypes thanks to cardiometabolic markers. In fact, these markers quantify the metabolically active adipose tissue, which is responsible for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, monitoring obesity patients through the activity of those markers can be of fundamental help in the follow-up of diet therapies and in the pharmacological approach. Patients with same weight and body mass index (BMI) may have different levels of biochemical markers and body composition, and therefore different profiles of cardiovascular risk. The aim of this paper is to characterize the biochemical markers of ectopic fat and any obesity phenotype for a correct cardiovascular prevention.