adipokine

An adipokine is any hormone or signaling molecule released by fat tissue. The word reminds us that body fat is not just inert storage — it actively “talks” to the rest of the body through chemical messengers that shape metabolism, appetite, and inflammation.

Adipokines are secreted by adipocytes (fat cells) and the immune cells embedded in fat. Familiar examples include leptin, which signals how much fat you carry and curbs appetite, and adiponectin, which improves insulin sensitivity and tends to be protective. Others — such as resistin and certain inflammatory cytokines — are linked to insulin resistance. Together they let fat tissue participate in whole-body energy balance.

A clinically important pattern: in obesity, the mix of adipokines shifts in an unhealthy direction — adiponectin falls while leptin and pro-inflammatory adipokines rise — promoting a state of low-grade chronic inflammation and insulin resistance. This is one mechanistic bridge linking excess body fat to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.