Pathophysiology of Prediabetes
Our goal is to understand the causes and consequences of impaired metabolic health in obesity and normal weight and the role of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in the pathogenesis of prediabetes, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
In this respect, in 2008, we published the first large cohort study addressing precise phenotyping in metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and then extended our research to subphenotypes of impaired metabolic in normal weight. To address the mechanisms how MASLD impacts on cardiometabolic diseases, in 2008, we were the first to introduce the concept of hepatokines and are studying their cardiometabolic role in the organ cross-talk.
Our goal is to understand the causes and consequences of impaired metabolic health in obesity and normal weight, and the role of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in the pathogenesis of prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
In this respect, in 2008, we published the first large cohort study addressing precise phenotyping in metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and then extended our research to subphenotypes of impaired metabolic in normal weight. To address the mechanisms how MASLD impacts cardiometabolic diseases, in 2008, we were the first to introduce the concept of hepatokines and are studying their cardiometabolic role in the organ cross-talk.
Physician Scientist
Physician Scientist
Physician Scientist
TA
Causes, consequences, and treatment of metabolically unhealthy fat distribution
Energy storage capacity under positive energy balance is important for metabolic health. An increased energy intake, particularly after consuming increased amounts of glucose, fructose, and saturated fat, and when energy expenditure is low, results in the storage of energy mostly in the form of triglycerides in adipose tissue.
Causes and cardiometabolic consequences of NAFLD
An unhealthy diet results in increased hepatic de novo lipogenesis and hepatic inflammation. This process is amplified by a lipodystrophy-like phenotype with expansion of visceral adipose tissue. By increased secretion of very low-density lipoproteins, ceramides, pro-coagulants, glucose, and dysregulated secretion of microRNAs and hepatokines, the fatty liver impacts metabolically important organs and tissues and the cardiovascular system.
Treatment of NAFLD
Pathophysiological targeted treatment of hepatic steatosis, e.g. by inhibiting cortisol production in metabolically active tissues, such as the liver, is effective to fight the epidemic of NAFLD.
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