Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress: Another Link Between Obesity and Insulin Resistance/Inflammation?

Obesity, which has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. and is increasing worldwide, is closely associated with insulin resistance (peripheral and hepatic) and with a state of lowgrade inflammation, the latter characterized by elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines in blood and tissues (1). Insulin resistance and inflammation in turn are associated with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, atherogenic dyslipidemias, and disorders of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis, all of which are independent risk factors for the development of atherosclerotic vascular disease, including heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral arterial disease (1).