Obesity and Atherosclerosis

The next couple of days I will be at the 77th European Atherosclerosis Society Congress in Istanbul, Turkey.

Given the importance of obesity (particularly visceral fat deposition) as a risk factor for atherosclerosis, it is not surprising that there are several talks on various aspects of obesity including its pathophysiology and management at this meeting.

My own talk on Tuesday morning will be on the role of "ectopic" fat on cardiovascular risk.

Generally speaking, ectopic fat is fat that accumulates in depots other than just underneath your skin and includes fat deposits in the gut, liver, muscle and other organs.

Always important to remember that not all fat is bad and that not everyone with a couple of extra pounds of fat tissue is at risk for heart disease.

When it comes to fat and heart disease, the "where" appears to be far more important than the "how much"!

AMS
Istanbul, Turkey