The evolving obesity challenge: targeting the vagus nerve and the inflammatory reflex in the response.

ABSTRACT: Obesity and the metabolic syndrome (MetS), which have reached pandemic proportions significantly increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other serious conditions. Recent data with COVID-19 patients indicate that obesity also is a significant risk factor for this novel viral disease and poor outcome of associated critical illness. These findings considerably change the view of obesity as a driver of serious, but slowly-progressing chronic diseases, and emphasize the urgency to explore new therapeutic approaches. Inflammation is a recognized driver of metabolic derangements in obesity and MetS, and a core feature of COVID-19 pathobiology. Recent advances in our understanding of inflammatory regulation have highlighted the role of the nervous system and the vagus ne

SUBMITTER: Pavlov VA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8027699 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature