Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Obesity is a worldwide public health problem that has been increasing in the last decades. It is characterized by excessive fat accumulation, and accompanied by low-grade chronic inflammation and increased oxidative stress. A growing body of evidence supports that both chronic inflammation and oxidative stress play a key role in the development of obesity-associated comorbidities such as insulin resistance (IR), which probably is the first step of a dysfunctional metabolic system. Subsequent to central obesity, IR, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypoalphalipoproteinemia, hypertension, and fatty liver are grouped in the so-called metabolic syndrome (MetS). The purpose of this chapter is to review the clinical correlates of systemic oxidative stress and inflammation markers in patients with obesity or MetS.