The worldwide epidemic of obesity is a major public health concern. Obesity is a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, clustered in the so-called metabolic syndrome (MS). Other main chronic illnesses are promoted by excessive body weight, including cancer and neurodegenerative pathologies, both affecting a number of people worldwide. In recent years, the primary role of an excess of reactive oxygen species (oxidative stress) resulting from altered redox control in the etiology of all of these pathologies has been unveiled. Interestingly, it appears that oxidative stress is both the cause and the consequence of obesity and associated disorders. This Forum features reviews that recapitulate the current knowledge on the link between oxidative stress and MS in the physiopathology of different biological systems. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 26, 429-431.
Keywords: metabolic syndrome; oxidative stress; special issue.