Gender differences and age-specific associations between Body Mass Index and other cardiovascular risk factors in CMV infected and uninfected people

Recent studies have highlighted Body Mass Index (BMI) as an important parameter
associated with cardiovascular risk and cancer.
Here we have explored the relationship between BMI and other cardiovascular risk factors
such as white blood count (WBC) and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) in young (20-35
years) and older (60-85 years) healthy donors stratified by gender and CMV IgG serostatus.
We found a positive correlation between BMI and WBC in young women, which was
significant in CMV+ women. Interestingly, there was a non-significant opposite trend in
young men. In older women the positive trend was preserved in the presence of CMVinfection,
but no clear trend was seen in older men. Gender differences were also observed
by opposite trends regarding an association between MAP and WBC (positive in young
women, negative in young men). These associations were not observed at older ages.
However, in CMV+ older men, there was a significant association between MAP and WBC
as well as neutrophil count (NC). CRP values were only available in older participants, and
interestingly, correlated with WBC and NC only in women, and more closely in CMVwomen.
This study reveals that the correlations between common inflammatory
markers/cardiovascular risk factors depend on age, gender, and CMV infection status in a
complex fashion. Our findings support the need to evaluate risk factors independently in men
and women and to take into account CMV infection status. More focused studies will be
required to shed light on these novel findings.