The increase in cardiovascular risk associated with metabolic syndrome (MS) seems higher in women than in men. We examined hemodynamics during head-up tilt in 252 men and 250 women without atherosclerosis, diabetes, or antihypertensive medication, mean age 48 years, using whole-body impedance cardiography and radial pulse wave analysis. MS was defined according to Alberti et al. 2009. Men and women with MS presented with corresponding elevations of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (10-14%, p ≤ 0.001) versus controls. Supine pulse wave velocity (16–17%, p < 0.001) and systemic vascular resistance (7–9%, p ≤ 0.026), and upright cardiac output (6–11%, p ≤ 0.008) were higher in both MS groups than controls. Elevation of supine aortic characteristic impedance was higher in women than in men with MS (16% vs. 8%, p = 0.026), and in contrast to men, no upright impedance reduction was observed in women. When upright, women but not men with MS showed faster return of reflected pressure wave (p = 0.036), and smaller decrease in left cardiac work (p = 0.035) versus controls. The faster upright return of reflected pressure, lower upright decrease in left cardiac work, and higher elevation of aortic characteristic impedance may contribute to the greater increase in MS-related cardiovascular risk in women than in men.

Background Obesity-related hypertension and the associated metabolic abnormalities are considered as a distinct hypertensive phenotype. Here we examined how abdominal fat content, as judged by waist:height ratio, influenced blood pressure and hemodynamic profile in normotensive subjects and never-treated hypertensive patients. Methods The 541 participants (20–72 years) underwent physical examination and laboratory analyses and were divided into age and sex-adjusted quartiles of waist:height ratio. Supine hemodynamics were recorded using whole-body impedance cardiography, combined with analyses of radial tonometric pulse wave form and heart rate variability. Results Mean waist:height ratios in the quartiles were 0.46, 0.51, 0.55 and 0.62. Radial and aortic blood pressure, systemic vascular resistance, pulse wave velocity, markers of glucose and lipid metabolism, leptin levels and C-reactive protein were higher in quartile 4 when compared with quartiles 1 and 2 (p < 0.05 for all). Cardiac index was lower in quartile 4 versus quartile 1, while no differences were seen in heart rate variability, augmentation index, plasma renin activity, and aldosterone concentration between the quartiles. Linear regression analyses showed independent associations of abdominal obesity with higher aortic systolic and diastolic blood pressure, systemic vascular resistance, and pulse wave velocity (p < 0.05 for waist:height ratio in all regression models). Conclusion Higher waist:height ratio was associated with elevated blood pressure, systemic vascular resistance, and arterial stiffness, but not with alterations in cardiac sympathovagal modulation or activation of the circulating renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Although obesity-related elevation of blood pressure has distinct phenotypic features, these results suggest that its main characteristics correspond those of primary hypertension. Trial registration ClinicalTrails.gov NCT01742702 (date of registration 5th December 2012).

Background: Obesity-related hypertension and the associated metabolic abnormalities are considered as a distinct hypertensive phenotype. Here we examined how abdominal fat content, as judged by waist:height ratio, influenced blood pressure and hemodynamic profile in normotensive subjects and never-treated hypertensive patients.Methods: The 541 participants (20-72 years) underwent physical examination and laboratory analyses and were divided into age‑ and sex-adjusted quartiles of waist:height ratio. Supine hemodynamics were recorded using whole-body impedance cardiography, combined with analyses of radial tonometric pulse wave form and heart rate variability.Results: Mean waist:height ratios in the quartiles were 0.46, 0.51, 0.55 and 0.62. Radial and aortic blood pressure, systemic vascular resistance, pulse wave velocity, markers of glucose and lipid metabolism, leptin levels and C‑reactive protein were higher in quartile 4 when compared with quartiles 1 and 2 (p<0.05 for all). Cardiac index was lower in quartile 4 versus quartile 1, while no differences were seen in heart rate variability, augmentation index, plasma renin activity, and aldosterone concentration between the quartiles. Linear regression analyses showed independent associations of abdominal obesity with higher aortic systolic and diastolic blood pressure, systemic vascular resistance, and pulse wave velocity (p<0.05 for waist:height ratio in all regression models). Conclusions: Higher waist:height ratio was associated with elevated blood pressure, systemic vascular resistance, and arterial stiffness, but not with alterations in cardiac sympathovagal modulation or activation of the circulating renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Although obesity-related elevation of blood pressure has distinct phenotypic features, these results suggest that its main characteristics correspond those of primary hypertension.Trial registration: ClinicalTrails.gov NCT01742702 (date of registration 5th December 2012)