Gender Differences and Cardiometabolic Risk: The Importance of the Risk Factors
Antonella Meloni, Christian Cadeddu Dessalvi, Lucia Cugusi, Maria Pia Donataccio, Martino Deidda, Susanna Sciomer, Sabina Gallina, Cristina Vassalle, Federica Moscucci, Giuseppe Mercuro, Silvia Maffei
Abstract
Metabolic syndrome (Mets) is a clinical condition characterized by a cluster of major risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes: proatherogenic dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, dysglycemia, and abdominal obesity. Each risk factor has an independent effect, but, when aggregated, they become synergistic, doubling the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and causing a 1.5-fold increase in all-cause mortality. We will highlight gender differences in the epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, and clinical expression of the aforementioned Mets components. Moreover, we will discuss gender differences in new biochemical markers of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk.