T Cell Immunity and Cardiovascular Metabolic Disorders: Does Metabolism Fuel Inflammation?

system, including atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the western world. Metabolic syndrome is associated with a combination of risk factors, including nutrient excess, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, insulin-resistance, and obesity that, when occurring together, increase the risk of developing cardiovascular metabolic disorders (CVMDs). In individuals with this syndrome, different CVMDs often develop simultaneously, so that obese patients present with an increased risk of suffering also from type II diabetes and insulin-resistance, these being frequently associated with atherosclerosis and hypertension, suggesting the sharing of similar pathogenic mechanisms.