METABOLIC DISORDERS —THE BASIS OF AGE-RELATED DISEASES OR AGING OF THE ORGANISM -STATE OF THE PROBLEM

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a symptom complex that combines lipid and carbohydrate metabolism disorders and their pathological manifestations. The concept of MS was developed in recent years, summing up the results of studies of the causes of the high frequency of cardiovascular complications and atherosclerotic manifestations in type II diabetes. At the end of the 20th century, interaction between specialists studying the problem of atherosclerosis and diabetologists began to emerge. Attention was drawn to such a risk factor as the level of triglycerides in the blood, and to such objects of study as fatty acids and adipose tissue. Research in this area was also initiated by the obesity epidemic that engulfed the United States. As a result, the role of visceral adipose tissue in the development of insulin resistance was determined. Epidemiological studies have shown that the incidence of MS, visceral obesity and insulin resistance depends on ethnicity, lifestyle and age: it increases gradually as the body ages, sharply increasing in people over 50. Age is currently considered an independent risk factor for type II diabetes. The phenomenon of insulin resistance has not been adequately studied at present, the causes of visceral tissue growth have not been clarified, and the factors in the development of the pathological process have not been identified. Nevertheless, it is becoming increasingly clear that metabolic disorders underlying atherosclerosis and type II diabetes can be considered a subject of gerontology. In this regard, we have developed and presented a program of scientific research to study the causes and consequences of glucose, fatty acid and cholesterol metabolism disorders and their relationship with aging