Among traditional cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk factors, obesity has become a major research target due to its epidemic prevalence¹ 1 GBD 2017 Risk Factor Collaborators. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet. 2018;392(10159):1923-94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32225-6. PMid:30496105. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)... . Another independent risk factor for CVD is psychological stress² 2 Huang CJ, Webb HE, Zourdos MC, Acevedo EO. Cardiovascular reactivity, stress, and physical activity. Front Physiol. 2013;4:314. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2013.00314. PMid:24223557. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2013.003... . Acute mental stress tasks have been used as a laboratory models to examine cardiovascular response to psychological stress³ 3 Carroll D, Ginty AT, Der G, Hunt K, Benzeval M, Phillips AC. Increased blood pressure reactions to acute mental stress are associated with 16-year cardiovascular disease mortality. Psychophysiology. 2012;49(10):1444-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.2012.01463.x. PMid:22958235. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.20... 4 Steptoe A, Kivimaki M, Lowe G, Rumley A, Hamer M. Blood pressure and fibrinogen responses to mental stress as predictors of incident hypertension over an 8-year period. Ann Behav Med. 2016;50(6):898-906. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-9817-5. PMid:27401000. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-981... -⁵ 5 Carroll D, Phillips AC, Der G, Hunt K, Benzeval M. Blood pressure reactions to acute mental stress and future blood pressure status: data from the 12-year follow-up of the West of Scotland Study. Psychosom Med. 2011;73(9):737-42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0b013e3182359808. PMid:22021460. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0b013e3182... . Evidence has suggested that the association between systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity to mental stress and increased risk for future cardiovascular events is independent of baseline BP values⁶ 6 Chida Y, Steptoe A. Greater cardiovascular responses to laboratory mental stress are associated with poor subsequent cardiovascular risk status: a meta-analysis of prospective evidence. Hypertension. 2010;55(4):1026-32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.109.146621. PMid:20194301. http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAH... .

This study assessed the correlation between obesity markers and mental stress reactivity. Mainly, it evaluated whether physical exercise (PE) influences cardiovascular reactivity to the Stroop color word test (SCWT) in teachers. Thirty-one school teachers were evaluated. The SCWT was carried out under (1) baseline and (2) 30 min after aerobic PE conditions. Teachers performed 30 min of PE. The reactivity to mental stress (Δ) during the SCWT for blood pressure (BP) was determined, with Δ being the highest value observed [Δ2 or Δ4: with pre-test values (0 min)]. Of the teachers, 64.52% were considered overweight/obese and 19.35% had a high clinical BP. However, 67.74% of teachers were considered physically active. Systolic BP (SBP) reactivity to SCWT correlated negatively with obesity markers (Rho = −0.36 to −0.60; p < 0.05). The SBP and diastolic BP (DBP) were higher at 2 and 4 min compared to 0 during the SCWT under both conditions (p < 0.01). Moreover, SBP was always lower after PE (p < 0.01) and DBP was lower at 2 and 4 min after PE (p < 0.01). In summary, SBP reactivity to mental stress correlated negatively with obesity markers. Moderate-intensity acute PE reduced BP reactivity to mental stress in teachers.

Background and Aims: To evaluate whether the family history of diabetes mellitus (FHD⁺) is associated with markers of glucose homeostasis in healthy adults. Methods: Studies evaluating adults aged 18 to 60 years without a diagnosis of cardiometabolic disease, and reporting the influence of FHD⁺ (at least one first-degree relative) on fasting and 2 h postload glucose, and fasting insulin were included. The electronic database MEDLINE (via PubMed) was searched in February 2026 for studies published in English. Results are presented as mean differences with 95% confidence intervals, using random-effects models. Sensitivity analyses were performed considering study design, methodological quality, the definition of FHD⁺, and participants’ age and sex. Results: Twenty-six studies totaling 3122 individuals were included. Fasting glucose [3.48 (1.34–5.63) mg·dL⁻¹; – = 90%], 2 h postload glucose [4.18 (2.27–6.10) mg·dL⁻¹; I² = 38%], A1c [0.12 (0.04–0.19)%; – = 67%]; fasting insulin [1.72 (0.97–2.48) µU·mL⁻¹; – = 90%], and HOMA–IR [0.55 (0.42–0.69); – = 70%] were higher (p < 0.001) in individuals with an FHD⁺. Meta-regression analyses showed no significant associations between mean age or BMI and markers of glucose homeostasis. Findings remained robust across sensitivity and subgroup analyses, with reduced heterogeneity for some outcomes. Conclusions: The available evidence suggests that FHD⁺ may be associated with markers of impaired glucose homeostasis in healthy adults. However, these results should be interpreted with caution and confirmed in higher-quality prospective studies.