The aim our study was to investigate cardiometabolic risk factors and plasma interleukin-18 (IL-18) levels in relationships with hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype (HTGW) depend on gender of patients with arterial hypertension (AH).

Anthropometric parameters, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, circulating IL-18 levels in 101 patients with AH (men (n=45; 44.6%) and women (n=56; 55.4 %) aged 32-80 years) were examined. HTGW was defined as a waist circumference (WC) of 90cm and more in male, and 85cm and more in female, and a triglyceride level of 1.7mmol/L or more. Patients were categorized into 3 phenotype groups: 1st with hypertriglyceridemia and normal WC, 2nd with normal triglyceride level and increased WC, 3rd with HTGW.

The patients of 3rd group characterized by maximum blood pressure levels. Body mass index (BMI) in 3rd group was also highest (31.05±0.61kg/m²) vs 1st (23.95±0.91kg/m²) and 2nd one (30.21±1.00kg/m²). Fasting insulin levels were elevated in patients of 3rd group with HTGW (14.66±0.95mkU/ml), and same in 1st (12.52±2.79mkU/ml) and 2nd (12.31±1.41mkU/ml) groups.

IL-18 - pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in 3rd group were 176.97± 2.38pg/ml, that was statistically higher in comparison with 1st (167.73±7.21pg/ml), and 2nd group (172.40±5.61pg/ml; p<0.05). Plasma IL-18 in 2^nd group was higher in men (172.40±5.61 pg/mg) vs women (169.53±7.04pg/ml; p<0.05); whereas in 1st group women characterized by significantly higher IL-18 content (169.00±1.11pg/ml) compared with men (160.83±9.35pg/ml; p<0.05). The same tendency was found in group 3 with HTGW phenotype presence where IL-18 content in women (180.62±2.93pg/ml) exceed cytokine level in men (167.76±3.52pg/ml; p<0.05).

Our results can suggest that HTGW phenotype is associated with more significant in women elevation of pro-inflammatory activity, high glucometabolic risk and atherogenic metabolic risk profile and can be used as a simple and inexpensive marker to help identify patients with high cardiometabolic risk.