Affiliations: [a] Department of Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
| [b] Department of Pathophysiology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
| [c] Department for Cardiovascular Disease, Osijek University Hospital, Osijek, Croatia
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Ines Drenjancevic, MD, PhD, Department of Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, J. Huttlera 4, HR-31 000, Osijek, Croatia. Tel.: +38531512800; Fax: +38531512866; E-mail: ines.drenjancevic@mefos.hr.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE:To assess sex-related differences in forearm skin microvascular reactivity to vascular occlusion and cardiovascular health in young healthy women and men. METHODS:203 young healthy individuals (67 men/136 women) participated in this study. Post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) in skin microcirculation following 1′, 2′ and 3′ vascular occlusion period was assessed using laser Doppler flowmetry. Anthropometric parameters, body composition, blood pressure, heart rate and biochemical parameters were measured in all participants. Correlations between PORH and measured parameters were determined by using corresponding tests. RESULTS:Women had significantly higher forearm PORH following 1′, 2′ and 3′ vascular occlusion than men. Women had lower body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio, but higher fat mass than men. Men had significantly higher blood pressure and lower heart rate than women. Also, women had lower hemoglobin, urea, creatinine and serum uric acid, but higher HDL cholesterol level than men. PORH was negatively associated with waist-to-hip ratio and systolic blood pressure only in women. CONCLUSIONS:Young healthy women exhibit higher skin microvascular reactivity to vascular occlusion compared to age-matched men. Increased systolic blood pressure or central obesity (waist-to-hip ratio) may pose greater risk to young healthy women than men by adversely affecting peripheral microvascular function.
