Narcolepsy, depression, and severe flushing in an obese man.

Hypogonadism as a cause of depression, daytime sleepiness, and flushing is often missed in young males. Our case report highlights the importance of screening for hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and its treatment in symptomatic men with severe obesity, especially if they have depression, excessive sleepiness, and narcolepsy.

Bariatric Surgery: Remission of Inflammation, Cardiometabolic Benefits, and Common Adverse Effects.

Obesity is associated with increased mortality as a result of several comorbidities which occur in tandem with the obese state. Chronic inflammation is well documented in obesity, and evidence from numerous studies support the notion that the increased inflammation in individuals with obesity accentuates the comorbidities seen in this condition. The remission of comorbidities such as metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurological complications occurs following bariatric procedures. Bariatric surgery significantly reduces mortality and results in remarkable weight loss and reversal in several obesity-related comorbidities. There is indisputable evidence that the resolution of inflammation that occurs after bariatric surgery mitigates some of these comorbidities. With the increasing use of bariatric surgery for the treatment of severe obesity, it is pivotal to elucidate the underlying mechanisms responsible for the notable improvements seen after the procedure. This review summarizes underlying mechanisms responsible for the remission of obesity-related abnormalities and discusses the common adverse effects of bariatric surgery. Well-stratified, large-scale studies are still needed for a proper evaluation of these underlying mechanisms.

Macronutrient-Mediated Inflammation and Oxidative Stress: Relevance to Insulin Resistance, Obesity, and Atherogenesis.

CONTEXT: The intake of macronutrients as components of a Western dietary pattern leads to oxidative stress and inflammation. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Data were largely retrieved from our previous and most recent work. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for recent articles on the effect of macronutrients/dietary intake on inflammation, insulin resistance, obesity, and atherogenesis. The most relevant, high-quality articles were included in our review. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Our previous work has demonstrated the molecular mechanisms of macronutrient-mediated oxidative stress and inflammation. With the induction of inflammation, proinflammatory molecules potentially interfere with insulin signal transduction, thus causing insulin resistance. In addition, other molecules promote atherogenic inflammation. More recently, our work has also shown that certain foods are noninflammatory or anti-inflammatory and thus, do not interfere with insulin signaling. Finally, as obesity is induced by chronic excessive caloric intake, it is characterized by an increase in the expression of proinflammatory molecules, which are induced acutely by a Western diet. Caloric restriction, including fasting, is associated with a reduction in oxidative and inflammatory stress. CONCLUSIONS: This review summarizes and attempts to provide an up-to-date profile of the molecular mechanisms involved in macronutrient-mediated oxidative/inflammatory stress and its potential consequences. An understanding of these underlying mechanisms is crucial for making appropriate dietary choices.