Skin as a Metabolic Organ: Dermatologic Markers of Morbid Obesity and Their Role in Risk Stratification and Treatment Monitoring

This study highlights the role of skin as a metabolic organ in individuals with morbid obesity, focusing on how excess adipose tissue affects the skin through metabolic, hormonal, and mechanical mechanisms. It identifies skin lesions such as acanthosis nigricans and multiple acrochordons as markers associated with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. While normalization of metabolic parameters through pharmacotherapy, surgery, or lifestyle changes can improve some skin manifestations, the study emphasizes that these skin changes should not be used as independent tools for risk assessment or treatment monitoring. Most evidence is based on cross-sectional or observational studies, and more prospective research is needed to confirm the clinical usefulness of dermatological markers in assessing metabolic risk and monitoring treatment.