Diabetes and hypertension in elderly women: interactions between severity and failure to control inflammation.

Elderly women are more susceptible to the development of chronic non-communicable diseases. Among these, diabetes mellitus (DM) and systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) stand out. This work aimed to carry out an expanded study on the interactions of anthropometric, biochemical and inflammatory parameters associated with the risk of severity in elderly women with hypertension and diabetes. The study involved the evaluation of 126 elderly women with hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The women were divided according disease severity (low, moderate, high and very high). Anthropometric data were collected by bioimpedance analysis. The inflammatory and biochemical data were obtained from volunteer blood samples. Waist circumference, waist circumference/height ratio, and systolic and diastolic pressures increased with severity. Biochemical marker levels increased with risk of severity, except HDLc. In the very high risk group, there was a higher IL-1ß, IFN-γ and TNF-α production, however, lower IL-10 levels were observed. The very high risk group showed change values for the IL-10/IL-1ß, IL-10/IL-17 and IL-10/TNF-α ratios. The results showed to be extensively altered in the very high risk group, where the inflammatory profile loses its responsiveness. This is the first study that shows an expanded view of the different parameters evaluated in elderly women with hypertension and diabetes.

Gender-related differences in the modulation of anthropometric, biochemical, and immune markers by physical activity in hypertensive and diabetic individuals.

Systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) compose the two major noncommunicable chronic inflammatory diseases. Physical activity has been shown as a promising complementary approach to control the systemic inflammation. However, it is still unclear whether this modulation is gender-dependent. The objective of this study was evaluate the gender-related influence of physical activity on the inflammatory response and biochemical profile of individuals with SAH and T2DM. An international physical activity questionnaire was applied to 376 individuals diagnosed with SAH and T2DM in order to access their exercises routine and was evaluated the influence of physical activity in biochemical, anthropometrical, and immunological markers involved in these disorders in men and women. Even though active individuals have exhibited lower serum levels of IL-1ß, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-17A, the ratios between IL-10 and all inflammatory cytokines were higher in men than in women. Physically active individuals also demonstrated increased HDL/LDL and HDL/VLDL ratios. Moreover, multiple correlations revealed that in active women both IL-10 and TNF-α serum levels positively correlate with fasting glucose levels, and were negatively associated with HDL levels. Our findings suggest that gender-related differences dictate a distinct crosstalk between inflammatory and biochemical markers in physically active individuals.