We have abundant literature supporting a role of visceral obesity on glucose and lipid metabolism. However, the clinical implications of this research have been somewhat disappointing. Although BMI and waist circumference are widely used as measures of fat mass and distribution and have a role in predicting risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, their clinical value is evident only when combined with other metabolic abnormalities, such as those defining the metabolic syndrome. Metabolically healthy obese persons who do not need intervention for prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease are frequent in our clinics and, more importantly, metabolically unhealthy nonobese persons are also frequent and not easily identifiable as candidate for preventive treatment. This is particularly evident in ethnic minorities. Metabolic abnormalities, including insulin resistance, are more common in Asian Indians, African Americans, and Hispanics at lower BMI and waist circumferences, as compared to the European descent. It is now increasingly recognized that, at any level of BMI, adipose tissue function can more directly affect lipids and glucose metabolism. Identification of biomarkers of adipose tissue dysfunction may provide the much needed tools to identify a metabolic condition, which precedes and is a cause of chronic complications. Defining an adipose tissue dysfunction as a disease would be of value for regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and clinicians who could better focus prevention efforts.

We invite investigators to contribute original research articles as well as review articles that will stimulate the continuing efforts to understand the role of adipose tissue dysfunction in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, independently of obesity and fat distribution. We are particularly interested in articles describing candidate biomarkers of adipose tissue dysfunction, ethnic diversity in adipose tissue function, and mechanistic relationship between adipose tissue dysfunction and insulin resistance/metabolic syndrome. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Role of adiponectin and inflammatory markers in adipose tissue dysfunction
• Role of adipose tissue dysfunction in hepatic steatosis
• Role of adipose tissue inflammation in insulin resistance/metabolic syndrome
• Adipose tissue mass distribution and function in various ethnic groups

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