scholarly journals Sex differences in the association of sphingolipids with age in Dutch and South-Asian Surinamese living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirthe Muilwijk ◽  
Nardie Callender ◽  
Susan Goorden ◽  
Frédéric M. Vaz ◽  
Irene G. M. van Valkengoed

Abstract Background Men have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) early in life, while women have a higher risk later in life. The sex-related differences in CVD risk, especially by age, could be related to sphingolipid metabolism. We compared plasma sphingolipid concentrations and its increase by age in men and women. Methods Plasma concentrations of 13 types of sphingolipids were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in a random subsample of 328 men and 372 women of Dutch and South-Asian Surinamese ethnic origin, participating in the HELIUS study. Sphingolipid concentrations were compared between men and women by age group (18–39, 40–55, and 56–70 years). Multiple linear regression was used to determine sex differences in age trends in sphingolipids stratified by ethnicity. Analyses were performed without adjustment and adjusted for body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. Results At age 18–39 years, sphingolipid concentrations were lower in women than those in men, but at age 56–70 years this was reversed. At higher age, women showed higher concentrations than men. In line, we observed a more rapid increase of sphingolipid concentrations by age in women than in men. The observed sex differences were not explained by BMI or waist circumference. Patterns of sex differences were similar across ethnic groups, although the strength of associations differed. Conclusions Mean sphingolipid concentrations increase more rapidly with age in women than in men. Therefore, plasma lipid concentrations of sphingolipids, although lower in women than in men at younger age, are higher in women than in men at older age.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew V. Kuczmarski ◽  
Laura M. Welti ◽  
Kerrie L. Moreau ◽  
Megan M. Wenner

Aging is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the leading cause of death in developed countries. Globally, the population of adults over the age of 60 is expected to double by the year 2050. CVD prevalence and mortality rates differ between men and women as they age in part due to sex-specific mechanisms impacting the biological processes of aging. Measures of vascular function offer key insights into cardiovascular health. Changes in vascular function precede changes in CVD prevalence rates in men and women and with aging. A key mechanism underlying these changes in vascular function is the endothelin (ET) system. Studies have demonstrated sex and sex hormone effects on endothelin-1 (ET-1), and its receptors ETA and ETB. However, with aging there is a dysregulation of this system resulting in an imbalance between vasodilation and vasoconstriction. Thus, ET-1 may play a role in the sex differences observed with vascular aging. While most research has been conducted in pre-clinical animal models, we describe more recent translational data in humans showing that the ET system is an important regulator of vascular dysfunction with aging and acts through sex-specific ET receptor mechanisms. In this review, we present translational evidence (cell, tissue, animal, and human) that the ET system is a key mechanism regulating sex-specific changes in vascular function with aging, along with therapeutic interventions to reduce ET-mediated vascular dysfunction associated with aging. More knowledge on the factors responsible for the sex differences with vascular aging allow for optimized therapeutic strategies to attenuate CVD risk in the expanding aging population.


2012 ◽  
Vol 108 (8) ◽  
pp. 1428-1434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Bédard ◽  
Mélissa Riverin ◽  
Sylvie Dodin ◽  
Louise Corneau ◽  
Simone Lemieux

The traditional Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is now widely recommended in the prevention of CVD. However, it is not known whether the MedDiet has the same beneficial cardiovascular effects in women and in men. The objective of the present study was to investigate sex-related differences with regard to changes in cardiometabolic variables in response to a 4-week isoenergetic MedDiet. Participants were thirty-eight men and thirty-two premenopausal women aged between 25 and 50 years who had slightly elevated LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations (3·4–4·9 mmol/l) or total cholesterol:HDL-cholesterol ratio ≥ 5·0. A 4-week run-in period preceded the MedDiet in order to control the inter- and intra-individual variability. Cardiometabolic variables were measured before and after the MedDiet. Total cholesterol, LDL-C, apoB and apoA-1 plasma concentrations as well as diastolic blood pressure decreased (P < 0·05) in both men and women (respectively, 10, 10, 10, 6 and 5 % for men and 6, 7, 9, 4 and 4 % for women). ApoA-2 concentrations and insulin concentrations 2 h after the oral administration of 75 g of glucose demonstrated sex × time interactions (respectively, P = 0·05 and P = 0·03) and only men experienced a decrease for these variables (respectively, 8 and 25 %). In conclusion, consuming a MedDiet led to significant changes in plasma lipid profile in both men and women, while only men had significant improvements in insulin homeostasis. These results support the importance of investigating sex-related differences in response to diet in order to perhaps further individualise dietary guidelines in the prevention of CVD and type 2 diabetes.


Endocrinology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 152 (3) ◽  
pp. 1192-1192
Author(s):  
Xuewen Wang ◽  
Faidon Magkos ◽  
Bettina Mittendorfer

Abstract It is commonly thought that sex hormones are important regulators of plasma lipid kinetics and are responsible for sexual dimorphism in the plasma lipid profile. Here we discuss the findings from studies evaluating lipid and lipoprotein kinetics in men and women in the context of what we know about the effects of exogenous sex hormone administration, and we conclude that it is more complicated than that. It has become clear that normal physiological alterations in the hormonal milieu (i.e. due to menopause or throughout the menstrual cycle) do not significantly affect plasma lipid homeostasis. Furthermore, parenterally administered estrogens have either no effect or only very small beneficial effects, whereas orally administered estrogens raise plasma triglyceride concentrations—a phenomenon that is not consistent with the observed sex differences and likely results from the hepatic “first-pass effect.” The effects of progestogens and androgens mimic only in part the differences in plasma lipids between men and women. Thus, the underlying physiological modulators of plasma lipid metabolism responsible for the differences between men and women remain to be elucidated.


2011 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 885-893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuewen Wang ◽  
Faidon Magkos ◽  
Bettina Mittendorfer

Abstract It is commonly thought that sex hormones are important regulators of plasma lipid kinetics and are responsible for sexual dimorphism in the plasma lipid profile. Here we discuss the findings from studies evaluating lipid and lipoprotein kinetics in men and women in the context of what we know about the effects of exogenous sex hormone administration, and we conclude that it is more complicated than that. It has become clear that normal physiological alterations in the hormonal milieu (i.e. due to menopause or throughout the menstrual cycle) do not significantly affect plasma lipid homeostasis. Furthermore, parenterally administered estrogens have either no effect or only very small beneficial effects, whereas orally administered estrogens raise plasma triglyceride concentrations—a phenomenon that is not consistent with the observed sex differences and likely results from the hepatic “first-pass effect.” The effects of progestogens and androgens mimic only in part the differences in plasma lipids between men and women. Thus, the underlying physiological modulators of plasma lipid metabolism responsible for the differences between men and women remain to be elucidated.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Hyo-Joon Yang ◽  
Yoosoo Chang ◽  
Soo-Kyung Park ◽  
Yoon Suk Jung ◽  
Jung Ho Park ◽  
...  

We examined the association of abdominal obesity and waist circumference within normal range with the incidence of reflux esophagitis, separately in men and women. This cohort study involved 142,679 Korean adults without reflux esophagitis, who underwent upper endoscopy at baseline and during follow-up. Waist circumference was categorized into the following quartiles: <80, 80.1–85, 85.1–90, and ≥90.1 cm in men; and <69.3, 69.3–74, 74.1–79.5, and ≥79.6 cm in women. During the 551,877.8 person-years of follow-up, 29,509 participants developed reflux esophagitis. The association between waist circumference quartiles and risk of reflux esophagitis significantly differed with sex (p for interaction < 0.001). In men, multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence intervals (CIs)) comparing waist circumference quartiles 2, 3, and 4 to the lowest quartile were 1.03 (0.99–1.07), 1.08 (1.04–1.12), and 1.15 (1.10–1.19), respectively. In women, HRs (95% CIs) comparing quartiles 1, 2, and 4 to the 3rd quartile were 1.10 (1.04–1.17), 1.03 (0.98–1.10), and 1.07 (1.01–1.13), respectively. In this large cohort with endoscopic follow-up, the risk of reflux esophagitis increased with increasing waist circumference even within the normal range in men, whereas the risk increased with low normal waist circumference or with abdominal obesity in women, indicating a U-shaped association.


2014 ◽  
Vol 112 (10) ◽  
pp. 1735-1744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Zeng ◽  
Yuan He ◽  
Shengyong Dong ◽  
Xiaolan Zhao ◽  
Zhiheng Chen ◽  
...  

It has not been established which specific measures of obesity might be most appropriate for predicting CVD risk in Asians. The objectives of the present study were to determine the associations of BMI, waist circumference (WC) and waist:height ratio (WHtR) with CVD risk factors and to evaluate the optimal cut-off values to define overweight or obesity in Chinese adults. Data collected from seven nationwide health examination centres during 2008 and 2009 were analysed. The BMI, WC and WHtR of 244 266 Chinese adults aged ≥ 20 years included in the study were measured. Logistic regression models were fit to evaluate the OR of each CVD risk factor according to various anthropometric indices. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted to assess the optimal cut-off values to predict the risk of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and the metabolic syndrome. WHtR had the largest areas under the ROC curve for all CVD risk factors in both sexes, followed by WC and BMI. The optimal cut-off values were approximately 24·0 and 23·0 kg/m2 for BMI, 85·0 and 75·0 cm for WC, and 0·50 and 0·48 for WHtR for men and women, respectively. According to well-established cut-off values, BMI was found to be a more sensitive indicator of hypertension in both men and women, while WC and WHtR were found to be better indicators of diabetes and dyslipidaemia. A combination of BMI and central obesity measures was found to be associated with greater OR of CVD risk factors than either of them alone in both sexes. The present study demonstrated that WHtR and WC may be better indicators of CVD risk factors for Chinese people than BMI.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Christina Penell ◽  
Mark M. Kushnir ◽  
Lars Lind ◽  
Jonatan Bergquist ◽  
Jonas Bergquist ◽  
...  

Objectives: Circulating concentrations of endogenous steroids have systemic implications for health in elderly. However, population-based age- and ethnicity-specific data are scarce. The aim was to report sex-specific plasma concentrations of endogenous sex- and adrenal steroids in elderly Swedish Caucasians, to examine the impact of BMI, and to present concentrations in apparently healthy subjects. Methods: A population-based observational study of 70-year olds, including 684 community-dwelling men and women enrolled in the PIVUS study, Sweden. Median plasma concentrations were determined using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for pregnenolone, 17-OH-pregnenolone, 17-OH-progesterone, 11-deoxycortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, testosterone, estrone and estradiol. Results: Plasma concentrations were significantly higher in men (n=452) than in women (n=232) for estradiol: median 61.3 pmol/L (95% CI, 11.4, 142.7) vs. 18.4 (4.0, 127.3), for estrone: 92.8 (33.3, 206) vs 71.6 (17.8, 209) pmol/L, and for testosterone 13.8 (5.7, 28.0) vs. 0.7 (0.2, 2.0) nmol/L. Higher concentrations of estrone and estradiol were observed in obese than non-obese women. Compared to non-obese men, obese men had lower concentrations of testosterone and its precursors: 17-OH-pregnenolone, 17-OH-progesterone, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone. The subgroup of apparently healthy individuals had median values >20% lower for estrone and estradiol in women but slightly higher for testosterone in both sexes. Conclusions: Concentrations of estradiol, estrone and testosterone were higher in 70-year old men than in women. BMI associated positively to estradiol and estrone in women and negatively to testosterone in men. Apparently healthy women had lower median concentrations of estradiol and estrone and men higher median testosterone compared to all individuals.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manasi Deshpandey ◽  
Chiung-Yu Huang ◽  
Namratha Kandula ◽  
Alka M Kanaya

Introduction: South Asians have a high incidence of type 2 diabetes(DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Women with DM may have greater CVD risk compared to men with DM and women without DM. No study has determined whether the incidence or progression of coronary artery calcium (CAC) score, a measure of atherosclerosis burden, differs between South Asian men and women with DM. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that CAC progression is greater in women with DM as compared to men with DM and women without DM. Methods: We used the data from the MASALA study, a community-based prospective cohort of South Asians from 2 clinical sites without CVD at baseline. We conducted a longitudinal analysis of diabetic participants who were reassessed after 5 years and compared with those without diabetes. We classified incident CAC as any CAC at exam 2 in a participant who had no CAC at baseline. To examine the progression of CVD risk factors over time, we compared change in CAC score, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HbA1c and lipid levels amongst the diabetic and non-diabetic population by sex. We conducted multivariable linear regression models stratified by diabetes status to determine whether sex was independently associated with change in CAC score and other CVD risk factors. Results: Of 749 participants who were seen in follow-up, 176 (23%) had diabetes at baseline, 65% were men, and mean age was 58 years. Approximately 64% women with DM vs. 28% men with DM had CAC=0, and men had higher median CAC score (49 (IQR 0-247) vs. 0 (IQR 0-46, p<0.001). After mean follow-up of 4.8±0.8 years, incident CAC did not differ between men and women with diabetes (p=0.85). Progression of CAC was greater in men with DM (94, IQR 13-290) compared to women with DM (0, IQR 0-30) (p <0.001). Baseline statin and aspirin use was lower in women with DM (statins: 37% in women vs. 56% in men, p<0.001; aspirin 16% in women vs. 43% in men, p<0.001). In multivariable models, the fold-change in CAC in women (0.22, 95% CI 0.10 - 0.47) was lower than in men (4.54, 95% CI 2.08 - 9.89) and comparable to women without DM (0.30 95%CI 0.21 -0.43), after adjusting for age, baseline CAC, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total and LDL cholesterol, duration of diabetes, smoking and any medication use (statin, diabetes, or hypertension med). Sex was not associated with change in any CVD risk factor among those with diabetes; but women without DM had greater change in total and LDL cholesterol and waist circumference than men without DM. Conclusion: In this South Asian population, change in CAC score was lower in women with DM than in men with DM, and was comparable to women without DM. These results suggest among South Asians with DM, overall CVD risk may be greater in men than in women.Continued follow-up of the MASALA cohort will determine whether there are sex differences in CVD outcomes.


2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew C. Whited ◽  
Kevin T. Larkin

Sex differences in cardiovascular reactivity to stress are well documented, with some studies showing women having greater heart rate responses than men, and men having greater blood pressure responses than women, while other studies show conflicting evidence. Few studies have attended to the gender relevance of tasks employed in these studies. This study investigated cardiovascular reactivity to two interpersonal stressors consistent with different gender roles to determine whether response differences exist between men and women. A total of 26 men and 31 women were assigned to either a traditional male-oriented task that involved interpersonal conflict (Conflict Task) or a traditional female-oriented task that involved comforting another person (Comfort Task). Results demonstrated that women exhibited greater heart rate reactions than men independent of the task type, and that men did not display a higher reactivity than women on any measure. These findings indicate that sex of participant was more important than gender relevance of the task in eliciting sex differences in cardiovascular responding.


2003 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisli H. Gudjonsson ◽  
Jon Fridrik Sigurdsson

Summary: The Gudjonsson Compliance Scale (GCS), the COPE Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were administered to 212 men and 212 women. Multiple regression of the test scores showed that low self-esteem and denial coping were the best predictors of compliance in both men and women. Significant sex differences emerged on all three scales, with women having lower self-esteem than men, being more compliant, and using different coping strategies when confronted with a stressful situation. The sex difference in compliance was mediated by differences in self-esteem between men and women.


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