Cardiometabolic Disease

Diabetes prevalence did not significantly differ by gender in the sample. Hypertension prevalence was significantly higher in men than women. The study used diabetes and hypertension as the cardiometabolic disease outcomes. Hypertension was defined by systolic blood pressure above 140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure above 90 mm Hg. Diabetes was defined by HbA1c above 6.5% or self-reported diabetes history. Excess fat-related inflammation contributes to insulin resistance and development of hypertension and diabetes. The article links chronic low-grade inflammation to major degenerative diseases including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Trans fats worsen major cardiovascular risk markers by increasing LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while decreasing HDL cholesterol. Trans fats directly increase insulin resistance and contribute to type 2 diabetes. The article says this combination damages clinical cardiovascular risk ratios used to assess heart disease probability.