Invited Review Adiponectin and cardiovascular disease: state of the art?

cardiometabolic syndrome, associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk in the industrialized world, is estimated to affect one in four adults. Although the mechanisms linking obesity and cardiovascular disease remain unclear, research continues to unravel the molecular pathways behind this pandemic. Adipose tissue has emerged as a metabolically active participant in mediating vascular complica-tions, serving as an active endocrine and paracrine organ secreting adipokines, which participate in diverse metabolic processes. Among these adipokines is adiponectin, which seems to possess antiatherogenic and anti-inflammatory effects and may be protective against cardiovascular disease development. The current review describes the pathophysiology of adiponectin in atherosclerotic disease. atherosclerosis; adipokines; cardiometabolic syndrome OBESITY AND ITS ASSOCIATED adverse cardiovascular effects rep-resent a worldwide pandemic (96). The cardiometabolic syn-drome, the cluster of obesity-related metabolic disorders in one individual, is estimated to affect one in four adults, making i