Investigating Obesity-Cellular Physiology Interactions Underlying Multiple Chronic Age-Related Diseases

Aging is associated with increased abdominal obesity, which is a stronger and joint risk factor for multipleage-related disorders (ARDs). Therefore, the elderly are exposed to increased risk for these disorders, andan expansion of obesity-related comorbidities is predicted at great cost to health and society. Obesityis a complex disease composing of multiple pathophysiological features, such as higher levels of fats andsugars in the blood. We hope to identify which features of obesity are most important for predicting thelikelihood of ARDs, and identify how they interact with our body on a cellular level. Online databases willbe utilised to find important obesity features, and establish which genes are affected by these features tojointly contribute to the development of ARDs. Changes in the ability for cells to detect and respond tolow oxygen plays an important role in the development and/or severity of multiple ARDs, such as heartattack mortality and cancer growth. We will directly investigate the role of fats on the ability for cells torespond to low oxygen, and whether this obesity-related mechanism contributes to ARDs. Ultimately, wehope to provide high-priority physiological markers for measuring and managing obesity, and allow for moreinformed dietary advice, which will have the largest impact on health and society.