Role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome is a composite of the inter-related entities obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance, and dyslipidaemia which presents differently in different people. While risk factors of metabolic syndrome include over-nutrition and lack of physical activity, the interaction of these with genetic risk traits and individual phenotypic variations is responsible for the development of clinical manifestations. Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress have been reported widely to be a prominent part of the pathogenetic cascade of metabolic syndrome. In this chapter, we would discuss the entity of oxidative stress, the role it plays in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome, and also the relationship between oxidative stress and metabolic syndrome. Prominent tissue or organ-specific effects of oxidative stress with emphasis on the adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, liver, and the cardiovascular and endocrine systems would be described. We would also discuss the interplay between oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance and briefly about circulating oxidative stress markers and probable therapeutic strategies directed against oxidative stress which may be of benefit in metabolic syndrome. © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.