Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disorders

Hormones play an important role in the health and function of your cardiovascular system and in your metabolism.  Hormone imbalances can contribute to heart disease and metabolic problems.  Endocrine hypertension (high blood pressure), for example, has been linked to one type of Cushing's syndrome and to primary aldosteronism, both of which are hormone imbalances stemming from the adrenal glands. 

Obesity can, in rare cases, also be caused by a hormone imbalance.  Typically, though, both obesity and overweight are caused by a combination of consuming more calories than your body needs and genetics.  Although obesity is more severe, both conditions can make it more likely that a person will develop a number of serious health issues, including high blood pressure and heart disease.  

Obesity and being overweight can also affect the ability of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, to effectively manage the levels of sugar in the blood.  When the body becomes resistant to insulin’s effects, sugar builds up in the blood and diabetes can result.  In addition, insulin resistance, when combined with obesity and other factors, can lead to a condition called metabolic syndrome.

Also called syndrome X, cardiometabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance syndrome, this condition arises when a number of risk factors, including obesity, high LDL (bad) cholesterol, high blood fat (hyperlipidemia), and low HDL (good) cholesterol, combine to increase your overall cardiometabolic risk – the chance a person will suffer damage to his or her heart or blood vessels.

While some of these conditions can be treated with medication, a healthy diet and physical activity are the best ways to prevent obesity and overweight and maintain a healthy cardiovascular system and metabolism.  In severe cases of obesity, however, bariatric surgery may be recommended

To learn more about how your endocrine system and hormone levels affect and are affected by your cardiovascular system and metabolism, please read the fact sheets and patient guides offered below.

Fact Sheets

Bariatric Surgery and the Endocrine System: Benefits and Risks

Hormones and Hypertension

Hormones and Obesity

Hormones and Your Heart

Hyperlipidemia

The Metabolic Syndrome

Patient Guides

Patient Guide to the Prevention and Management of Pediatric Obesity

Patient Guide on Metabolic Risk: Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Type 2 Diabetes