ABSTRACT
In the past years, the discovery of leptin has open new perspectives and brought new concepts in understanding the regulation of the body weight. With the recognition of its important endocrine activity, the adipose tissue has acquired a central role not only in the regulation of energy homeostasis but also in the immune function and reproductive capacity. Obesity is frequently clustered with a number of cardiovascular risk factors such as insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and arterial hypertension, commonly referred to as the metabolic syndrome. Although each component of the metabolic syndrome may contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease observed in obesity, the adipose tissue may also directly inˆuence the pathogenesis of hypertension and atherosclerosis by the secretion of adipocytokines and more particularly leptin.
