Key result
Neck adipose tissue acts as an independent pathogenic depot modulating metabolic and cardiovascular risk.
Why the study?
Upper body adipose tissue accumulation, particularly neck adipose tissue, has been associated with metabolic disorders and cardiovascular risk but its unique metabolic role and implications remain unclear.
Neck adipose tissue represents a unique, metabolically active fat depot that may serve as a novel therapeutic target for metabolic disorders and cardiovascular risk.
May refine CV risk assessment beyond BMI; leaves open neck fat as a therapeutic target.
Upper body adipose tissue accumulation has been associated with clustering of metabolic disorders and increased cardiovascular risk. Neck circumference (NC) indicated that subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in that region is an independent pathogenic depot that might account for the additional risk missed by visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Neck adipose tissue (NAT) is not only one more ectopic depot but has several particular features that might modulate its metabolic role. Besides a controversial impact on obstructive apnea syndrome, neck fat encompasses carotid arteries as an important perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) depot. With dysfunctional changes in obesity, physiologic vascular regulation is lost and inflammatory signals accelerate atherogenesis. Unexpected was the discovery of brown and beige adipocytes in the neck of human adults. When stimulated, brown adipose tissue (BAT) dissipates energy through thermogenesis and it is associated with other favorable metabolic effects. Moreover, the neck is the region where the browning mechanism was disclosed. With this unique plastic nature, NAT revealed multiple ties, challenging dynamics and potential new therapeutic targets that might have significant implications on metabolic outcomes and vascular risk.
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Jakšić et al. (2018) conducted a review in Metabolic disorders and cardiovascular risk. Neck adipose tissue was evaluated. Neck adipose tissue acts as an independent pathogenic depot with unique features, including brown and beige adipocytes, that modulate metabolic outcomes and cardiovascular risk.
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