Does leptin cause vascular disease?

In the past two decades, there has been a 2to 4-fold increase in childhood obesity in the United States. The current epidemic of childhood obesity in the United States can be expected to cause a surge in cardiovascular disease in this generation.1,2 Already, obesity-related illnesses account for nearly 300 000 deaths and about $100 billion in economic costs per year in the United States. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms by which obesity accelerates vascular disease has become ever more important.