Metabolic syndrome affects cardiovascular risk profile and response to treatment in hypertensive postmenopausal women.

Metabolic syndrome is increasingly recognized as an important cardiovascular risk factor in hypertension, but its influence on the cardiovascular risk profile in hypertensive postmenopausal women has not been studied. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of metabolic syndrome on the cardiovascular risk profile and the response to treatment. We enrolled 350 hypertensive postmenopausal women, 55+/-6 years of age (range 47 to 60 years of age). Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of metabolic syndrome. Compared with those without, women with metabolic syndrome had higher waist circumference, body mass index, and levels of glucose, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol, as would be expected, based on definition. In addition, patients with metabolic syndrome had a cardiovascular risk profile less favorable, characterized by a significantly higher highly sensitive C-reactive protein (2.2+/-0.6 versus 1.7+/-0.7 ng/L; P<0.01), a more compromised endothelial function (flow-mediated vasodilation 2.4+/-2.2 versus 4.4+/-2.5%; P=0.01), and a significantly higher left ventricular mass (44+/-15 versus 41+/-16 g/m(2.7)). Also, antihypertensive treatment induced a more modest improvement of both endothelial dysfunction and subclinical inflammation in women with metabolic syndrome. The results of our study show that in postmenopausal women, there are 2 different forms of hypertension: that which is isolated, and that which is associated with metabolic syndrome. This last form is related to a more severe risk profile, and response to therapy is less favorable.