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Connecting obesity, aging and diabetes

Nature Medicine volume 15, pages 996–997 (2009)Cite this article

Obesity accelerates the aging of adipose tissue, a process only now beginning to come to light at the molecular level. Experiments in mice suggest that obesity increases the formation of reactive oxygen species in fat cells, shortens telomeres—and ultimately results in activation of the p53 tumor suppressor, inflammation and the promotion of insulin resistance (pages 1082–1087).

As technology has improved hygiene, the food supply and living standards overall, there has been a rise in such age-related illnesses as cardiovascular disease, cancer, degenerative diseases of the brain and other organs, and metabolic disorders such as diabetes. Age-related disorders have become widespread throughout the world, replacing infectious diseases as the leading cause of death in developed countries. As we age, many people develop the metabolic syndrome, characterized by central (visceral) obesity, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance or overt diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular complications.

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Figure 1: The connection between obesity-mediated aging of adipose tissue and diabetes.

Katie Vicari

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rexford S. Ahima is in the Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. ahima@mail.med.upenn.edu,

    Rexford S. Ahima

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  1. Rexford S. Ahima
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Ahima, R. Connecting obesity, aging and diabetes. Nat Med 15, 996–997 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0909-996

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