“…Several studies showed a stronger association in men than in women between phthalate metabolites, i.e., MEP, bisphenols (BPA and BPS) or parabens, and risk factors for metabolic syndrome, i.e., general and abdominal obesity, dyslipoproteinemia, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension [ 46 , 57 , 58 , 60 ]. This sex-specific response to MDC exposure may be due to the higher expression of estrogen in women, which plays a protective role in several components of metabolic diseases and the cardiovascular system, including blood pressure and hypertension [ 78 ].…”