Role of Gender and Physical Activity Level on Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in the Elderly

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases remain as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries. Ageing and gender strongly modulate the risk to develop cardiovascular diseases but very few studies have investigated the impact of gender on cardiovascular diseases in the elderly, which represents a growing population. The purpose of this study was to test the impact of gender and physical activity level on several biochemical and clinical markers of cardiovascular risk in elderly individuals. METHODS: Elderly individuals (318 women (75.8 ± 1.2 years-old) and 227 men (75.8 ± 1.1 years-old)) were recruited. Physical activity was measured by a questionnaire. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel's definition. Polysomnography and digital tonometry were used to detect obstructive sleep apnea and assess vascular reactivity, respectively. Blood was sampled to measure several oxidative stress markers and adhesion molecules. RESULTS: The frequency of cardiovascular diseases was significantly higher in men (16.4%) than in women (6.1%) (p < 0.001). Body mass index (25.0 ± 4.3 vs. 25.8 ± 3.13 kg.m(−2)) and glycaemia (94.9 ± 16.5 vs. 101.5 ± 22.6 mg.dL(−1)) were lower, and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) (74.6 ± 17.8 vs. 65.0 ± 17.2 mg.dL(−1)) was higher in women compared to men (p < 0.05). Oxidative stress was lower in women than in men (uric acid: 52.05 ± 13.78 vs. 59.84 ± 13.58, advanced oxidation protein products: 223 ± 94 vs. 246 ± 101 μmol.L(−1), malondialdehyde: 22.44 ± 6.81 vs. 23.88 ± 9.74 nmol.L(−1)). Physical activity was not associated with lower cardiovascular risk factors in both genders. Multivariate analyses showed an independent effect of gender on acid uric (β = 0.182; p = 0.020), advanced oxidation protein products (β = 0.257; p < 0.001), and HDL concentration (β = −0.182; p = 0.026). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that biochemical cardiovascular risk factors are lower in women than men which could explain the lower cardiovascular disease proportion observed in women in the elderly.