Insulin resistance and obesity are very frequent disorders and are described as the dominant risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to analyze the interrelations between several metabolic variables (including TNF-α) and factors related to insulin resistance in groups of both normal and hyperlipidemic postmenopausal women and men of appropriate age, and to attempt to elucidate the gender differences. The study was carried out on 70 outpatients of the Metabolic Center. From these, 40 patients (20 men and 20 women) were selected with mild hyperlipidemia. Two other groups (10 men and 20 women) with approximately normal serum lipids parameters were taken as "controls". In hyperlipidemic women the mean serum concentration of the TNF-α was no different from that in the control group in spite of the fact that values of HOMA IR, insulin, proinsulin and lipid parameters increased significantly. In hyperlipidemic men we have found the decrease in TNF-α in comparison with the control group. In all four groups the statistical analysis showed correlations between metabolic parameters (including TNF-α) and parameters related to insulin resistance. Also differences in relation to the gender have been found. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated the important role of TNF-α in the regulation of both the insulin resistance and in the secretion of insulin in women. In men, BMI and HDL-cholesterol played a dominant role, while the role of TNF-α seemed to be minimal.

No abstract

No abstract

Background: The increase in the prevalence of insulin resistance-related metabolic syndrome, a disorder that greatly increases the risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke, is alarming. One of the most frequent and early symptoms of metabolic syndrome is hypertriglyceridemia. We examined the gender differences between various metabolic factors related to insulin resistance in elderly non-diabetic men and postmenopausal women of comparable age suffering from hypertriglyceridemia, and compared them with healthy subjects of equal age.