Is the metabolically healthy obese phenotype associated with an increased risk of clinical/subclinical cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality?
Clinicians should not consider the metabolically healthy obese phenotype as entirely benign, as it carries an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.
MHO is an important, emerging phenotype with a CVD risk between healthy, normal weight and unhealthy, obese individuals. Successful work towards a universally accepted definition of MHO would improve (and simplify) future studies and aid inter-study comparisons. Usefulness of a definition inclusive of insulin sensitivity and stricter criteria for metabolic syndrome components as well as the potential addition of markers of fatty liver and inflammation should be explored. Clinicians should be hesitant to reassure patients that the metabolically benign phenotype is safe, as increased risk cardiovascular disease and death have been shown.
Roberson et al. (Wed,) studied this question.