TY  - JOUR
A1  - Schulze, Matthias Bernd
T1  - Metabolic health in normal-weight and obese individuals
JF  - Diabetologia : journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD)
N2  - Cardiovascular complications are commonly associated with obesity. However, a subgroup of obese individuals may not be at an increased risk for cardiovascular complications; these individuals are said to have metabolically healthy obesity (MHO). In contrast, metabolically unhealthy individuals are at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), irrespective of BMI; thus, this group can include individuals within the normal weight category (BMI 18.5-24.9kg/m(2)). This review provides a summary of prospective studies on MHO and metabolically unhealthy normal-weight (MUHNW) phenotypes. Notably, there is ongoing dispute surrounding the concept of MHO, including the lack of a uniform definition and the potentially transient nature of metabolic health status. This review highlights the relevance of alternative measures of body fatness, specifically measures of fat distribution, for determining MHO and MUHNW. It also highlights alternative approaches of risk stratification, which account for the continuum of risk in relation to CVD, which is observable for most risk factors. Moreover, studies evaluating the transition from metabolically healthy to unhealthy phenotypes and potential determinants for such conversions are discussed. Finally, the review proposes several strategies for the use of epidemiological research to further inform the current debate on metabolic health and its determination across different stages of body fatness.
KW  - Cardiovascular diseases
KW  - Cohort studies
KW  - Metabolically benign
KW  - Obesity
KW  - Review
Y1  - 0208
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-018-4787-8
SN  - 0012-186X
SN  - 1432-0428
VL  - 62
IS  - 4
SP  - 558
EP  - 566
PB  - Springer
CY  - New York
ER  -