P.040 Association of Arterial Stiffness, Carotid Intima-Media Thickness, Carotid Plaques and Flow-Mediated Dilatation with Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose was to investigate whether the metabolic syndrome was associated with measures of arterial stiffness, flow mediated dilatation (FMD), carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid plaques (CP) in middle-aged subjects without and with MetS.

Methods

186 asymptomatic volunteers (40-65 years old, 86 males) without clinically overt cardiovascular disease were examined. MetS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation consensus. The prevalence of MetS was 32.8 %. Augmentation index (AIx) and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (PWV) as measures of arterial stiffness were assessed by applanation tonometry. FMD as the measure of endothelial function was determined using high resolution B-mode ultrasonography. IMT and CP were assessed by high resolution B-mode ultrasonography.

Results

PWV was significantly elevated in the MetS group (9.20 ± 1.08 vs. 23.30 ± 1.02, P = 0.003). FMD was significantly lower in the MetS group (5.32 vs. 6.45%, P = 0.018). There was no statistically significant difference in AIx between patients with and without MetS (23.97 ± 8.08 vs. 23.30 ± 9.75, P = 0.248). The presence of MetS was significant (P = 0.005) when predicting values of PWV but not FMD. IMT was higher in the MetS group (0.08 [0.07-0.1] vs 0.07 [0.06-0.08] P < 0.001)). The MetS was a significant predictor of the presence of carotid plaques (OR = 0.341, 95 % CI [0.173e 0.673], P = 0.002).

Conclusions

Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased arterial stiffness, decreased flow mediated dilatation, increased carotid intima-media thickening and with the presence of carotid plaques.