Genetic and Epigenetic Investigations into the Pathogenesis and Pathophysiology of the Metabolic Syndrome

Dear Colleagues,

Metabolic syndrome is defined as a clustering of metabolic abnormalities that include central obesity, insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. It is also associated with other comorbidities including the proinflammatory state, prothrombotic state, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cholesterol gallstone disease, and reproductive disorders. The metabolic syndrome is one of the risk factors for the epidemic of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the 21st century because it appears as a worldwide epidemic and major public health concern with a high prevalence rate not only in the USA and Europe, but also in most Asian and South American countries. It has been found that the metabolic syndrome is associated with a significant increase in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Although it is unclear whether there is a unifying pathogenic mechanism that could elucidate the pathophysiology of the metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity and insulin resistance definitively play a pivotal role in triggering the development of the metabolic syndrome. Because the metabolic syndrome could be caused largely by an inactive lifestyle, overconsumption of food, and the resulting abdominal obesity, it is strongly recommended that lifestyle changes and weight loss are the first step to prevent or treat metabolic syndrome. In addition, other cardiac risk factors should be actively managed in individuals with metabolic syndrome.

In this Special Issue, topics will be focused on genetic and epigenetic investigations into the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of the metabolic syndrome, as well as epidemiology and natural course of this metabolic disorder. In addition, special emphasis will be given to the abnormal genetic, cellular, and molecular mechanisms underlying the dysfunctional lipid and glucose metabolism as risk factors for the development of metabolic syndrome.

This Special Issue is also dedicated to the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the pathophysiology of risk components for the development of the metabolic syndrome, such as obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, gallstones, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and abnormal lipoprotein metabolism. Taken together, basic, translational, and clinical studies on these topics are strongly recommended for publication in this Special Issue.

We cordially invite all researchers, scientists, investigators, and clinicians who work in these fields to submit their manuscripts (i.e., original research papers, review articles and commentaries) for publication in this Special Issue of Genes.

Dr. David Q-H Wang
Guest Editor

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