Atherosclerosis, its Causes and the Importance of Adiponectin

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial disease, caused by the accumulation of cholesterol in the vessel wall, obstructing the nutrition of subsequent tissues and causing heart and brain damage. It is common in sedentary individuals with high cholesterol and is more likely for those with a family history, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Its pathophysiology occurs through low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol-bearing molecules that permeate the vessel wall and activate the immune system, attracting macrophages to the lesion site, which phagocyte the lipoprotein and form the atherosclerotic plaque. If the plaque is unstable it is highly likely to rupture form, thrombus, and cause acute myocardial infarction and stroke. This research was carried out based on 30 papers, involving articles, theses, dissertations, books, government documents and course completion works, using databases such as PubMed, Scielo and Google academic in Portuguese and English, which reported on atherosclerosis , Adiponectin and the relationship between both, more precisely the early detection through a biomarker produced by adipose tissue called adiponectin, with protective function of the cardiovascular, antidiabetic, anti-atherogenic andantithrombotic system. The low levels of this hormone are mainly due to atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus and other pathologies that are still under investigation. Its current detection happens is done using ELISA and this research shows a more profitable alternative, through nanostructured electrochemical biosensors.