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Relationships between metabolic syndrome and left ventricular mass in hypertensive patients: does sex matter?

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 22, pages 788–795 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Several studies documented an association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. However, only in a few of these studies the impact of MetS on left ventricular mass (LVM) was separately analysed by gender, with conflicting results. The aim of our study was to verify, in a wide sample of essential hypertensive patients, the influence of gender, if any, on the relationship between MetS and LVM. We enrolled 475 non-diabetic subjects (mean age: 46±11 years), with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension, of whom 40% had MetS, defined on the basis of Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII) criteria. All the patients underwent a 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and an echocardiogram. LVM indexed for height2.7 (LVMH2.7) was significantly (P<0.001) higher in women with MetS (n=83) than in those without it (n=97; 54±17 vs 42±11 g m−2.7). An equally significant difference in LVMH2.7 was documented also in male gender between the two groups with (n=105) and without MetS (n=190; 51±14 vs 43±11 g m−2.7; P<0.001). The relationship between MetS and LVMH2.7 remained statistically significant (P<0.001) in both sexes, in multiple regression analyses, even after adjustment for potential confounding factors. Our results seem to suggest that the relationship between MetS and LVM is not significantly affected by gender, being LVM increased in both hypertensive women and men with MetS.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by the Italian Ministry for University and Scientific Research (MURST) grants (‘ex 60% quotas’ and COFIN 2004069989_003 project). We express our gratitude to Mrs Concetta Truscello, Mr Giuseppe Patricolo, and Mrs Rosa Anello for their nursing assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Cattedra di Medicina Interna, Malattie Cardiovascolari e Nefrourologiche, European Society of Hypertension Excellence Centre, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    G Mulè, P Cusimano, E Nardi, S Cottone, C Geraci, A Palermo, M Costanzo, A C Foraci & G Cerasola

  2. Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Cattedra di Nefrologia, Malattie Cardiovascolari e Nefrourologiche, European Society of Hypertension Excellence Centre, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    S Cottone

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  1. G Mulè
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Correspondence to G Mulè.

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Mulè, G., Cusimano, P., Nardi, E. et al. Relationships between metabolic syndrome and left ventricular mass in hypertensive patients: does sex matter?. J Hum Hypertens 22, 788–795 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2008.69

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