From the ArcaMax Publishing, Science & Technology Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/technology/s-298574-412628
BOSTON (UPI) -- A U.S. study has identified insulin resistance in the
liver as a key factor in the cause of metabolic syndrome and its
associated atherosclerosis.
The research at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston was led by Drs.
Sudha Biddinger and C. Ronald Kahn.
"This is one of the first true insights into the role of the liver in
the metabolic syndrome and provides guidance for future therapies,"
Kahn said. "Showing this connection between atherosclerosis and
insulin resistance is one of the most dramatic findings I've seen in
35 years."
Metabolic syndrome is a collection of medical problems related to
insulin resistance, including obesity, glucose intolerance,
hypertension, lowered HDL cholesterol and elevated triglycerides.
Together they are associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis
-- the buildup of plaque in coronary arteries that leads to heart
attack and stroke.
The researchers said their findings suggest many of the important
features of metabolic syndrome have a common cause, thus challenging a
joint position statement issued by the American Diabetes Association
and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes that questioned
the very existence of metabolic syndrome.
The research is detailed in the February issue of the journal Cell
Metabolism.