Obesity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and obstructive lung disease

Obesity and obstructive lung diseases are present-day epidemics of enormous proportions. Although obesity is a metabolic disorder, derangements in metabolism are increasingly being recognized in lung disease as well. Obesity is now considered a major risk factor for lung diseases, yet individuals with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are also predisposed to developing obesity. A complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and physiological processes contributes to increased risk for lung disease in obese patients. In the last decade, there has been increasing recognition of diverse noncanonical roles of mitochondria and mitochondrial dysregulation in disease pathogenesis. Here, we provide an overview of mitochondrial dysfunction in both obesity and lung disease, and highlight how dysfunction in one disease can influence the development or severity of the other via involvement of mitochondria.