Taken together, these unadjusted data suggest that, in human subcutaneous adipose tissue, most LPA receptors exhibit differential expression with pre-obesity and/or obesity and that decreased LPA4, LPA5, LPA6 expression is related to an increase in certain markers of metabolic syndrome, prolonged length-of-stay post cardiac surgery, and likely predisposes to a less favourable disposition at hospital discharge. The gene discussed is LPAR6; the disease is obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.