TY  -  JOUR
AU  -  Del Zoppo, Alice
AU  -  Solini, Anna
T1  -  Sex and gender differences in cardiovascular and renal complications of obesity: a narrative review on the key role of sex hormones
PY  -  2026
Y1  -  2026-05-01
DO  -  10.1723/4737.47523
JO  -  Journal of Sex- and Gender-Specific Medicine
JA  -  J Sex Gender Specif Med
VL  -  12
IS  -  2
SP  -  67
EP  -  73
PB  -  Il Pensiero Scientifico Editore
SN  -  2974-8623
Y2  -  2026/07/27
UR  -  http://dx.doi.org/10.1723/4737.47523
N2  -  Summary. Obesity disproportionately elevates the risk of cardiorenal pathologies in the female sex, underscoring distinct, sex-specific mechanisms. Adipose tissue dysfunction, particularly in visceral depots, initiates a state of chronic, low-grade inflammation, characterized by aberrant secretion of pro-inflammatory adipokines (e.g., leptin) and cytokines (e.g., IL-6, TNF-α). This inflammatory milieu, coupled with enhanced oxidative stress and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) activation, is central to end-organ damage. Cardiac remodelling often culminates in a higher prevalence of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, while the kidney undergoes maladaptive changes, including glomerular hyperfiltration and subsequent glomerulomegaly, accelerating progression toward chronic kidney disease. The post-menopausal loss of estrogen further amplifies this cardiorenal susceptibility by promoting a central fat distribution and metabolic derangement. This review integrates evidence on these differential pathways, stressing the imperative for tailored, precision-based strategies addressing adipose inflammation to mitigate the growing cardiorenal burden in women.
ER  -