THE EFFECT OF OBESITY AND INSULIN RESISTANCE ON ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM STRESS

With obesity rates on the rise scientific research is being conducted to measure its effects on the human body. Scientific evidence indicates that stress placed on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) affects various metabolic disorders. The purpose of this systemic review was to determine how ER stress differentiates in individuals who are obese versus those who are not and how insulin levels are affected by weight. Studies were limited to research done on human subjects. A PubMed and EBSCO search was performed with the search terms “ER stress and obesity” and “ER stress and insulin resistance.” Studies were limited to those published in the last 10 years. Subjects for all studies were either obese, at a normal weight, insulin resistant and/or had diabetes. The results indicated that obesity and insulin resistance affect stress levels in the ER. Two of the four studies found that ER stress was reduced with lower glucose and insulin levels. Overall, this research supports that obesity and insulin resistance affect ER stress. This research will be beneficial to individuals who are overweight or have diabetes mellitus because of how ER stress contributes to pancreatic beta-cell loss and insulin resistance. Future research needs to be done on human subjects to determine the overall effect of ER stress on overweight and diabetic individuals.