The role of abnormal metabolic conditions on arterial stiffness in healthy subjects with no drug treatment

BACKGROUND: Subjects with abnormal metabolic conditions had increased risk for cardiovascular disease. We investigated the role of abnormal metabolic conditions on arterial stiffness in healthy subjects with no drug treatment. METHODS: A total 601 subjects (age 48.7 ± 11.8 years, male 46.2 %, hypertension 19.1 %) were enrolled. Major cardiovascular risk factors, metabolic conditions and parameters (pre-diabetes, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, fasting blood sugar (FBS), glycated hemoglobin), lipid profiles, hsCRP, and brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were measured. RESULTS: Subjects with metabolic syndrome (n = 200) had higher baPWV than in subjects without metabolic syndrome (n = 401) even after adjustments for age, sex and presence of hypertension (1435.9 ± 212.2 vs. 1336.5 ± 225.0 cm/sec, p < 0.001). The differences of baPWV among normal FBS, prediabetes and diabetes mellitus groups are significant (P for trend = 0.036) by multivariate analysis (adjustments for age, sex, office systolic blood pressure). Subjects with diabetes mellitus (n = 30) had higher baPWV than in subjects with normal FBS (n = 384, 1525 ± 267.1 vs. 1341.5 ± 224.1 cm/sec, P = 0.016 adjustments for age, sex, office systolic blood pressure). BaPWV in subjects with prediabetes (n = 187) was slightly higher, but not statistically significant than in subjects with normal FBS (P = 0.377). Of interest, FBS was one of the independent predictors for increased baPWV (β = 0.809, 95 % CI 0.222-1.397, p = 0.007) by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects with abnormal metabolic conditions have increased arterial stiffness independent of age and BP which may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease.