Understanding the Role of Adipokines in Cardiometabolic Dysfunction: A Review of Current Knowledge

Cardiometabolic risk and associated dysfunctions contribute largely to the recent rise in mortality globally. Advancements in multi-omics in recent years promise a better understanding of potential biomarkers that enable an early diagnosis of cardiometabolic dysfunction. However, the molecular mechanisms driving the onset and progression of cardiometabolic disorders remain poorly understood. Adipokines are adipocyte-specific cytokines that are central to deleterious cardiometabolic alterations. They exhibit both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects, complicating their association with cardiometabolic disturbances. Thus, understanding the cardiometabolic association of adipokines from a molecular and signaling perspective assumes great importance. This review presents a comprehensive outline of the most prominent adipokines exhibiting pro-inflammatory and/or anti-inflammatory functions in cardiometabolic dysfunction. The review also presents an insight into the pathophysiological implications of such adipokines in different cardiometabolic dysfunction conditions, the status of adipokine druggability, and future studies that can be undertaken to address the existing scientific gap. A clear understanding of the functional and mechanistic role of adipokines can potentially improve our understanding of cardiovascular disease pathophysiology and enhance our current therapeutic regimen in the years to come.