P.084 Visceral Adiposity as the Main Determinant of Carotid Stiffness in a Healthy Population with a Wide BMI and age Range: Evidence from an Echo-Tracking Approach

Abstract

Introduction

Aging and blood pressure have been reported to be the main determinants of systemic arterial stiffening but few data exist on factors influencing local arterial stiffness.

Aim

Evaluation of metabolic, hemodynamic and anthropometric determinants of carotid artery stiffness.

Materials

145 normotensive, non-diabetic, non-dyslipidemic subjects were studied; according to WHO criteria the population included 44 normal 30 overweight and 71 obese subjects [NL, OW, and OB (mean age 40 ± 11.4, 44.4 ± 10, and 39.2 ± 12 yrs, mean BMI 22.6 ± 1.9, BMI 28.2 ± 1.6, and 39.5 ± 6.2 kg/m², respectively)]. 106 subjects underwent oral glucose tolerance test; blood samples for glucose, insulin, c-peptide, total HDL- and LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels collected. Carotid artery stiffness was evaluated by a cardiovascular ultrasound system (Aloka SSD-5500) implemented with an echo-tracking subsystem allowing real time evaluation of arterial diameter, and providing calibrated diameter-derived pressure curves. Indices of local arterial stiffness such as pressure-strain elastic modulus (EP), b stiffness index, and pulse wave velocity (PWV), and the augmentation index (AIx) were obtained.

Results

carotid PWV correlated (p<0.05) directly with: age (r = 0,407); SBP, DBP and MBP (r = 0,343, 0,285 and 0,330, respectively); mean carotid IMT (r = 0,219), waist-hip ratio (WHR, r = 0,511); AUC for C-peptide (60 subjects) (r = 0,359), Framingham risk score (r = 0,319) and inversely with HDL cholesterol (r = -0,231). In stepwise regression analysis WHR remained as main independent determinant of local carotid PWV (r² = 0,396, p<0.001).

Conclusions

Visceral adiposity is the main determinant of arterial stiffness in a healthy population with wide BMI and age range.