Overweight Affects Blood Vessels: Insights on Vascular Health from Recent Findings
Shaping Up On Our Arteries: Insights into Vascular Wellness and Obesity
Obesity's effect on blood vessel health often varies depending on where the extra poundage piles up in your body, mentions a groundbreaking study by the German Heart Research Center (DZHK) and the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), in collaboration with an international research crew, spearheaded by Prof. Dr. Andreas Fischer and Dr. Sana Hasan.
Discovering a fascinating difference between white adipose tissue in visceral (abdominal) and subcutaneous fat, this study demonstrates that the former reacts uniquely to overeating, causing more harm to the blood vessels — potentially leading to inflammation, poor blood flow, and cardiovascular diseases. Conversely, subcutaneous fat exhibits a special type of blood vessel cell known as "fenestrae-containing endothelial cells," which, in a healthy state, may have beneficial effects on the tissue. However, during obesity, these cells decrease significantly.
So, is all body fat created equal? Not exactly. The study sheds new light on why visceral fat is particularly harmful: In this type of fat, overeating instigates a radical change in the blood vessels that encourages inflammation and disorders. In contrast, subcutaneous fat appears to be comparatively more benign.
The researchers also pinpointed an essential signaling molecule that keeps blood vessels structurally sound in fat tissue — VEGFA. Depletion of this molecule, as a result of long-term high-fat diets, causes the blood vessels to lose their integrity and functioning capabilities. Surprisingly, this effect is not merely limited to animal models but is also observable within human adipose tissue, which opens up exciting possibilities for maintaining or restoring the health of our blood vessels during obesity.
The study, recently published in Nature Communications, features cutting-edge single-cell analyses, imaging techniques, and genetic experiments, offering unparalleled detail. This lays the groundwork for future treatments, aimed at enhancing the functioning of blood vessels in adipose tissue, thereby potentially preventing secondary diseases like diabetes and heart attacks.
[1] The research team found that obesity-driven changes initiate earlier and vary depending on where the fat deposits take place, with visceral fat posing a more severe risk to vascular health than subcutaneous fat.
Publication:
Hasan et al. Obesity drives depot-specific vascular remodeling in male white adipose tissue, Nature Communications, June 2025 Link
Contact:
Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Fischer, Institute of Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, andreas.fischer[at]med.uni-goettingen.de
- The study revealed that the impact of obesity on blood vessels depends on the location of fat deposits, with visceral fat causing more harm to vascular health and potentially leading to inflammation, poor blood flow, and cardiovascular diseases.
- According to the research, during obesity, the special blood vessel cells found in subcutaneous fat, known as "fenestrae-containing endothelial cells," decrease significantly, which could contribute to the worsening of health-and-wellness conditions.
- The researchers discovered an essential signaling molecule, VEGFA, that keeps blood vessels structurally sound in fat tissue. Depletion of this molecule, due to long-term high-fitness-and-exercise routines or improper nutrition, can lead to cardiovascular-health issues, not just in animal models but also in human adipose tissue.
