nutrients

Editorial
Biomarker of Stress, Metabolic Syndrome and Human Health
Jean-Baptiste Bouillon-Minois 1,2, * and Frédéric Dutheil 1,3

1 Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, LaPSCo, Physiological and Psychosocial Stress,

F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; [email protected]
2 CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Emergency Medicine, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
3 CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, WittyFit,
F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
* Correspondence: [email protected]

Metabolic syndrome is a significant public health concern linked to the obesity pan-
demic. Even if glycemia, triglycerides, and HDL are mandatory for the assessment of
metabolic syndrome, other biomarkers have recently been proposed to be linked. Recent
studies indicate that both chronic and (repeated) acute stress are involved in developing
metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, both oxidative and psychosocial stress have been linked
to heart disease and metabolic syndrome. The main hypothesis is the disruption of the
hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA axis). Indeed, a dysfunction in the HPA axis
increases cortisol levels in the blood, increasing both glucose and insulin levels, causing the
apparition of insulin resistance, the promotion of dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, and
visceral adiposity. Secondly, HPA axis dysfunction has an impact on bones, cardiovascular
diseases, and psychiatric disorders.
This Special Issue is composed of five articles, three original articles and two reviews,
including a systematic review with a meta-analysis.
The first study concerns 535 obese patients aged 0–18 years. Children born large for
gestational age predominated over those born small for gestational age. Birth weight had
Citation: Bouillon-Minois, J.-B.; an independent effect on triglycerides and insulin resistance (two well-known biomarkers
Dutheil, F. Biomarker of Stress, of cardiometabolic risk) during childhood, whereas obesity had a direct influence on
Metabolic Syndrome and Human hypertension, an impaired glucose metabolism, and hypertriglyceridemia [1].
Health. Nutrients 2022, 14, 2935. The second one also studied pediatric obesity, but this time, the impact of acute stress
https://doi.org/10.3390/ was assessed for 137 obese youngsters with the Trier Social Stress Test. Those overweight
nu14142935 and with a high level of chronic stress seemed to have a higher stress vulnerability (stronger
relative salivary cortisol reactivity and weaker happiness recovery) and a higher fat/sweet
Received: 23 June 2022
Accepted: 27 June 2022
snack intake. Those patients would benefit from stress therapy to reduce the risk of
Published: 18 July 2022
obesity [2].
The third one studied the link between dysfunction pancreatic ß-cells and nonalcoholic
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This disease is associated with a decreased insulin sensitiv-
with regard to jurisdictional claims in
ity. Among 6168 participants, those with NAFLD had a much higher HOMA2-%B level.
published maps and institutional affil-
However, when evaluating the β-cell function in the context of insulin resistance by using
iations.
the disposition index, NAFLD subjects had a lower disposition index. Thus, it seems that
pancreatic β-cell function might be a novel predictor for the presence of NAFLD, and an
insufficient compensatory β-cell function is associated with NAFLD [3].
Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.
The fourth one explored the link between metabolic syndrome and sarcopenia—
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. two common ailments among elderly patients. Indeed, skeletal muscle is a major organ
This article is an open access article in the glucose metabolism. The loss of muscle mass has been closely linked to insulin
distributed under the terms and resistance and metabolic syndrome through the accumulation of intramuscular fat using
conditions of the Creative Commons a combination of factors (oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines, mitochondrial dys-
Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// function, insulin resistance, and inactivity). Persistent inflammation, fat deposition, and
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ insulin resistance are thought to play a complex role in the association between metabolic
4.0/).

Nutrients 2022, 14, 2935. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14142935 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients

Nutrients 2022, 14, 2935 2 of 2

syndrome and sarcopenia, both affecting quality of life and contributing to increased frailty,
weakness, dependence, morbidity, and mortality [4].
Lastly, leptin, the main satiety hormone presenting a circadian rhythm, was studied
in an acute way. Indeed, it seems that leptin can be considered a biomarker of acute
stress, with a 34% decrease following acute stress. Individuals with a normal weight and
women had a higher variation of leptin levels after stress, suggesting that leptin may have
implications in obesity development in response to stress in a sex-dependent manner [5].
In conclusion, it was an honor to be a guest editor to this very interesting Special Issue.
All the different findings provide a higher comprehension on the link between metabolic
syndrome and stress through the use of novel biomarkers. We hope that future research
is performed, aiming to find novel pathway to increase quality of life among obese and
stressed people.

Author Contributions: J.-B.B.-M. and F.D. wrote this editorial hand-to-hand. All authors have read
and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References
1. Bizerea-Moga, T.O.; Pitulice, L.; Pantea, C.L.; Olah, O.; Marginean, O.; Moga, T.V. Extreme Birth Weight and Metabolic Syndrome
in Children. Nutrients 2022, 14, 204. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. Wijnant, K.; Klosowska, J.; Braet, C.; Verbeken, S.; De Henauw, S.; Vanhaecke, L.; Michels, N. Stress Responsiveness and Emotional
Eating Depend on Youngsters’ Chronic Stress Level and Overweight. Nutrients 2021, 13, 3654. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. Chen, X.; Xiao, J.; Pang, J.; Chen, S.; Wang, Q.; Ling, W. Pancreatic β-Cell Dysfunction Is Associated with Nonalcoholic Fatty
Liver Disease. Nutrients 2021, 13, 3139. [CrossRef]
4. Nishikawa, H.; Asai, A.; Fukunishi, S.; Nishiguchi, S.; Higuchi, K. Metabolic Syndrome and Sarcopenia. Nutrients 2021, 13, 3519.
[CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. Bouillon-Minois, J.-B.; Trousselard, M.; Thivel, D.; Benson, A.C.; Schmidt, J.; Moustafa, F.; Bouvier, D.; Dutheil, F. Leptin as a
Biomarker of Stress: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients 2021, 13, 3350. [CrossRef] [PubMed]