ECO: Distinct Sex-Linked Cardiometabolic, Inflammatory Patterns Seen in Obesity

TUESDAY, April 21, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Distinct sex-associated cardiometabolic and inflammatory patterns are seen in adults with obesity, according to a study scheduled to be presented at the annual meeting of the European Congress on Obesity, hosted by the European Association for the Study of Obesity, held from May 12 to 15 in Istanbul.Zeynep Pekel, from Dokuz Eylul University in Turkey, and colleagues compared anthropometric, metabolic, and inflammatory parameters between women and men living with obesity to identify sex-specific risk patterns in a retrospective analysis conducted among 1,134 adults living with obesity (78.1 percent women; 21.9 percent men).The researchers found that women were significantly older than men (44.82 ±13.51 versus 40.83 ± 14.90 years). Slightly higher body mass index was seen among men, although the magnitude of difference was modest (37.54 ± 6.90 versus 36.02 ± 6.22 kg/m²). Men had significantly higher waist circumference (120.28 ± 12.04 versus 107.50 ± 12.59 cm) and systolic blood pressure (128.27 ± 15.68 versus 122.20 ± 17.29 mm Hg). Men had significantly elevated hepatic enzymes and triglyceride levels, as well as creatinine levels. Women exhibited higher total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Women also had significantly higher inflammatory markers, including erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and platelet count."Our findings ... show just how important gender-specific research is. Not only are sex differences a powerful player in the pathology and course of obesity, but our results indicate that such differences could be a stepping stone toward finding targeted, sex-based therapies to help in the management of people living with obesity," Pekel said in a statement.More Information.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

ECO: Distinct Sex-Linked Cardiometabolic, Inflammatory Patterns Seen in Obesity

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