Reproductive hormones and sex differences in relation to brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity in obese subjects: a retrospective case-control study.

BACKGROUND

Reproductive hormones may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but their influence is often underestimated. Obesity can exacerbate the progression of CVD. Arterial stiffness (AS) is correlated with the risk of CVD. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) has served as a practical tool for assessing AS with broad clinical applications. This study aimed to investigate the association between reproductive hormones and baPWV in obese male and female subjects.

METHODS

A retrospective case-control design was designed. AS was assessed using baPWV, with a baPWV ≥ 1400 cm/s indicating increased AS. Between September 2018 and October 2022, 241 obese subjects with increased AS were recruited from Ningbo Yinzhou No. 2 Hospital. The control group consisted of 241 obese subjects without increased AS. A 1:1 propensity score matching was performed to correct potential confounders by age and sex. We additionally performed a sex-based sub-analysis.

RESULTS

Correlation analysis demonstrated that luteinizing hormone (LH) (r = 0.214, P = 0.001) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (r = 0.328, P < 0.001) were positively correlated with baPWV in obese male subjects. In the multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis, FSH (OR = 1.407, 95% CI = 1.040-1.902, P = 0.027) rather than LH (OR = 1.210, 95% CI = 0.908-1.612, P = 0.194) was independently and positively associated with increased AS in obese male subjects. However, there was no significant correlation between reproductive hormones and baPWV in women.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study identified FSH as a potential risk factor for arteriosclerosis in obese male subjects. This provides a novel and intriguing perspective on the pathogenesis of CVD in obese subjects.