Elasticity indices of large and small arteries in relation to the metabolic syndrome in Chinese.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to investigate the elasticity of large and small arteries in relation to the components of the metabolic syndrome in a Chinese population. METHODS Arterial elasticity indices were derived from pulse wave analysis based on a modified Windkessel model in 688 subjects, aged 33-65 years, who volunteered to participate in our study. RESULTS The study population included 420 (61.0%) men and 433 (62.9%) hypertensive patients, of whom 197 (28.6%) took antihypertensive medication. Overall, the presence of the metabolic syndrome was 20.5%. In univariate analysis, both large artery elasticity index (C1) and small artery elasticity index (C2) were higher in men than in women (P ≤ 0.008) and were inversely (P≤ 0.05) correlated with age, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), pulse pressure, pulse rate, and plasma glucose concentration, and positively (P < 0.0001) correlated with body height and body weight. In men, smokers, compared with nonsmokers, had significantly lower C2 (P= 0.007), but they had similar C1 (P= 0.33). In adjusted analysis, patients with the metabolic syndrome, compared with those without, had significantly (P < 0.01) lower C1 and C2. In continuous adjusted analysis, both C1 and C2 were significantly (P < 0.0001) associated with systolic and diastolic BP, whereas in addition, C1 was also significantly associated with plasma glucose concentration (P = 0.007), and C2 with serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (P= 0.02).