Relationships Among Conventional Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Lifestyle Habits With Arterial Stiffness in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Serum Cystatin C is Associated with Peripheral Artery Stiffness in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Combined with Chronic Kidney Disease

OBJECTIVE

Cystatin C (CysC) is associated with arterial stiffness. However, its suitability for evaluating patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the relationship between CysC levels and peripheral arterial stiffness (PAS) in patients with T2DM combined with CKD.

METHODS

Participants' arterial stiffness was assessed using brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), and those with a baPWV ≥ 1800 cm/s were included in the PAS group. Additionally, patients were divided into young (18-44 years old), middle-aged (45-59 years old), and older (≥ 60 years old) groups.

RESULTS

Of 200 patients, 94 (47%) were diagnosed with PAS. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that age, pulse pressure, and CysC levels (odds ratio = 1.525, 95% confidence interval: 1.072-2.168, P = 0.019) were independently correlated with PAS in patients with T2DM combined with CKD. The levels of CysC in different age groups were positively correlated with baPWV, and the correlation was significantly higher in the young group (r = 0.739, P < 0.001) than in the middle-aged (r = 0.329, P < 0.001) and older (r = 0.496, P < 0.001) groups. The multifactor linear regression analysis revealed that CysC was significantly correlated with baPWV in the young group (β = 0.455, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

CysC was an independent predictor of PAS in patients with T2DM combined with CKD and was more significantly associated with baPWV in young patients than in middle-aged and older patients. CysC may may be an early predictor of peripheral arteriosclerosis in patients with T2DM combined with CKD.

Associations between continuous glucose monitoring-derived metrics and arterial stiffness in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have suggested that high mean glucose levels and glycemic abnormalities such as glucose fluctuation and hypoglycemia accelerate the progression of atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes. Although continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) that could evaluate such glycemic abnormalities has been rapidly adopted, the associations between CGM-derived metrics and arterial stiffness are not entirely clear.

METHODS

This exploratory cross-sectional study used baseline data from an ongoing prospective, multicenter, observational study with 5 years of follow-up. Study participants included 445 outpatients with type 2 diabetes and no history of apparent cardiovascular disease who underwent CGM and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) measurement at baseline. Associations between CGM-derived metrics and baPWV were analyzed using multivariate regression models.

RESULTS

In a linear regression model, all CGM-derived metrics were significantly associated with baPWV, but HbA1c was not. Some CGM-derived metrics related to intra-day glucose variability, hyperglycemia, and hypoglycemia remained significantly associated with baPWV after adjusting for possible atherosclerotic risk factors, including HbA1c. Based on baPWV ≥ 1800 cm/s as indicative of high arterial stiffness, multivariate logistic regression found that some CGM-derived metrics related to intra-day glucose variability and hyperglycemia are significantly associated with high arterial stiffness even after adjusting for possible atherosclerotic risk factors, including HbA1c.

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple CGM-derived metrics are significantly associated with baPWV and high arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes who have no history of apparent cardiovascular disease. These metrics might be useful for identifying patients at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

On the Association Between Sleep Quality and Arterial Stiffness: A Population Study in Community-Dwelling Older Adults Living in Rural Ecuador (The Atahualpa Project)

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Evidence of an association between atherosclerosis and sleep quality is limited and has not been studied in remote rural settings, where living conditions are different than in urban centers. We aimed to assess the relationship between the aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) and sleep quality in older adults living in rural Ecuador.

METHODS

Atahualpa residents aged 60 years or older identified during door-to-door surveys, who consented to participate, underwent face-to-face interviews with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess sleep quality. Aortic PWV determinations were performed for arterial stiffness estimation (as a surrogate of atherosclerosis).

RESULTS

A total of 303 individuals were included (mean age: 70.3 ± 7.8 years; 59% women). Univariate logistic regression showed a significant association between the aortic PWV and poor sleep quality (odds ratio [OR] 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-1.39; P = .003). A multivariate logistic regression model, adjusted for demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, oily fish intake and psychological distress showed a significant association between increased PWV and poor sleep quality (OR 1.59; 95% CI 1.12-2.25; P = .009). Similar significance was noted when the model was adjusted for neuroimaging signatures of cerebral small-vessel disease and stroke (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.07-2.03; P = .019).

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows a significant independent association between the aortic PWV and poor sleep quality in older adults living in rural Ecuador. Results provide more insights into the relevance of the impact of sleep disorders on cardiovascular diseases.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

The Atahualpa Project has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. The identifier number is NCT01627600, and the date was: 10/02/2012.

CITATION

Del Brutto OH, Mera RM, Peñaherrera E, Costa AF, Peñaherrera R, Castillo PR. On the association between sleep quality and arterial stiffness: a population study in community-dwelling older adults living in rural ecuador (the atahualpa project). J Clin Sleep Med. 2019;15(8):1101-1106.

Platelet counts are associated with arterial stiffness in Chinese Han population: a longitudinal study

Background

Determining the risk factors for brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) may help to identify people susceptible to diabetic atherosclerosis and could prevent diabetic macrovascular complications in the early stages. We aim to comprehensively investigate risk factors contributing to arterial stiffness in patients with and without diabetes.

Methods

BaPWV was measured in 5651 individuals who attended health check-ups at baseline and follow-up. Lasso regression was used to screen for risk factors. Mixed models and multiple linear regressions were subsequently established to evaluate the effect size of the potential risk factors on baPWV and PWV change rates. All analyses were stratified by diabetes. Mediation analysis was also conducted to demonstrate the mechanisms of arterial stiffness in patients with diabetes.

Results

In lasso regression, postprandial 2-h glucose (P2hG), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and age were associated with baPWV regardless of diabetes. Platelet counts (PLT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and coronary heart disease (CHD) were associated with baPWV in patients with diabetes. In the mixed models, PLT were positively associated with baPWV in patients with diabetes (β_{platelet, perSD} = 25.80; 18.26–33.33). Elevated PLTs could also significantly increase the PWV change rate in patients with diabetes (β_{platelet, perSD} = 54.05; 10.00–107.10). In mediation analysis, diabetes had a significant average direct effect on baPWV. The average causal mediation effect (ACME) of PLTs was 1.76, with a range of 0.17 to 3.70.

Conclusions

Elevated PLT counts can increase baPWV in diabetes and are a potential mediator between diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Breakfast skipping is associated with persistently increased arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

While certain lifestyle habits may be associated with arterial stiffness, there is limited literature investigating the relationship between lifestyle habits and longitudinal changes in arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This is an exploratory study to determine whether lifestyle habits, in addition to conventional atherosclerotic risk factors, are associated with increased arterial stiffness.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The study participants comprised 734 Japanese outpatients with T2DM and no history of apparent cardiovascular diseases. Lifestyle habits were analyzed using self-reported questionnaires, and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was measured at baseline, and at years 2 and 5. A multivariable linear mixed-effects model was used to determine the predictive value of lifestyle habits and possible atherosclerotic risk factors for longitudinal change in baPWV.

RESULTS

Over 5 years of follow-up, baPWV values significantly increased. In a multivariable linear mixed-effects model that adjusted for age and gender, a low frequency of breakfast intake was significantly associated with persistently high baPWV, independently of other lifestyle habits. Furthermore, in a multivariable linear mixed-effects model that included both lifestyle habits and possible atherosclerotic risk factors, a low frequency of breakfast intake remained the only independent predictive factor for persistently high baPWV. Subjects who ate breakfast less frequently tended to have additional unhealthy lifestyle habits and atherosclerotic risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analyses suggest that breakfast skipping is an independent lifestyle habit that is associated with persistently increased arterial stiffness in patients with T2DM.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

UMIN000010932.

Rapid and automated risk stratification by determination of the aortic stiffness in healthy subjects and subjects with cardiovascular disease

Background

Aortic stiffness is an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality; thus, simple, rapid and preferably automated techniques are indispensable for pursuing a global risk stratification approach. We present an oscillometric technique for determination of the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), including the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity, with emphasis on the training curve and procedural duration.

Methods

In a single-centre crossover study, we evaluated subjects free of known cardiovascular disease (CVD), subjects with CVD and a subgroup of subjects with peripheral artery disease (PAD) in terms of ankle-brachial index (ABI) and PWV measurements determined by oscillometry compared to tonometry. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship of the PWV measurements determined by both methods. Moreover, the time and cost of the examinations were compared.

Results

A total of 176 study subjects underwent assessments to obtain oscillometric and tonometric PWV measurements. The CVD-free subjects (n = 59) were younger (60.4±15.6 vs. 67.5±12.9 years, p = 0.003) than the subjects with CVD (n = 117). The PWV measurements showed significant correlations in CVD-free subjects (r = 0.797, p<0.001), in subjects with CVD (r = 0.817, p<0.001) and in the subgroup of subjects with PAD (r = 0.807, p<0.001). The examination duration was shorter for the oscillometric method than the tonometric method (4.4±0.5 vs. 9.2±0.8 min, p<0.001).

Conclusion

Using a simple and rapid automated oscillometric method, we achieved good diagnostic accuracy for the determination of aortic stiffness through the PWV in both subjects with and without CVD. This method might be helpful in daily practice in terms of saving time and reducing procedural complexity for screening for cardiovascular morbidities and vascular damage in cases of atherosclerosis.

Parameters of pulse wave velocity: determinants and reference values assessed in the population-based study LIFE-Adult

AIMS AND BACKGROUND

Parameters of arterial stiffness such as pulse wave velocity (PWV) were recently proposed as independent risk factors of cardiovascular events. We analyse three PWV parameters in the large population-based study LIFE-Adult to identify risk factors, normal and reference values.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Brachial-ankle (ba), brachial-femoral (bf) and carotid-femoral (cf) PWV assessment was performed using Vicorder device. 8509 participants aged 19-80 were analysed. PWV parameters were moderately correlated (r(ba/bf) = 0.6, r(ba/cf) = 0.46, r(bf/cf) = 0.59). Age and blood pressure are the dominant determinants of PWV parameters explaining > 18% of variability. Sex was only relevant for bfPWV and cfPWV. All further analysed cardiovascular and other risk factors are of minor importance. We provide age-dependent percentiles for the population (reference values) and for the subgroup of normotonic individuals. All percentiles show a strong increase with age. The difference between normotonic and all individuals is small for younger age groups but increases up to 1 m/s for elderly subjects.

CONCLUSION

Our study confirms and further underpins the strong impact of age and blood pressure on arterial stiffness and the relatively weak contribution of other factors, supporting an independent role of arterial stiffness in cardiovascular disease development. Age-dependent reference and normal values were provided on the basis of the so far largest study sample facilitating the implementation of PWV assessment in clinical practice. Due to better compliance, handling and stronger association with age and blood pressure, baPWV could serve as an alternative to cfPWV. Follow-up data are required to estimate the clinical significance of specified PWV cut-offs.

Comparison of the ability to identify arterial stiffness between two new anthropometric indices and classical obesity indices in Chinese adults

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The association between anthropometric indices of body composition and arterial stiffness is inconclusive. The objective of this study was to examine the predictive ability of two new obesity indices: a body shape index (ABSI), and a body roundness index (BRI), for the identification of arterial stiffness among Chinese adults, as well as to compare the relative strength of association between the anthropometric indices and arterial stiffness.

METHODS

A total of 10,197 subjects were recruited in this cross-sectional study. We tested the association between anthropometric indices (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference [WC], waist-height-ratio [WHtR], ABSI and BRI) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV). Receiver operating characteristic curve and area under curve (AUC) were employed to evaluate the predictive value of the anthropometric indices for identification of arterial stiffness.

RESULTS

After adjusting for confounding variables, BRI (linear regression: 0.112; AUC: 0.726; OR: 1.228 for female and linear regression: 0.047; AUC: 0.631; OR: 1.173 for male) exhibited a more powerful predictive ability of arterial stiffness than ABSI (linear regression: 0.110; AUC: 0.674; OR: 1.315 for female and linear regression: 0.058; AUC: 0.610; OR: 1.150 for male) and WC (linear regression: 0.078; AUC: 0.699; logistic regression: negative for female and linear regression: negative; AUC: 0.593; logistic regression: negative for male) while having a similar predictive value to that of WHtR (linear regression: 0.113; AUC: 0.726; OR: 1.228 for female and linear regression: 0.047; AUC: 0.631; OR: 1.185 for male) among both sexes. BMI (linear and logistic regression: negative; AUC: 0.660 for female and 0.568 for male) had the lowest predictive power in both sex categories. The optimal cut-off of WHtR for detecting arterial stiffness was 0.49 in females and 0.53 in males, that of BRI was 3.19 in females and 3.89 in males.

CONCLUSIONS

WHtR, ABSI and BRI were significantly associated with arterial stiffness. BRI and WHtR, rather than ABSI, showed superior predictive abilities for arterial stiffness in both sexes.