Continuous smoking might accelerate the age-associated progression of structural stiffening of the large- to middle-size arteries. We also found a dose-response relationship between cigarette consumption and accelerated arterial stiffening. However, we failed to confirm any significant association between the rate of arterial stiffening and the serum CRP levels in the smokers.

No abstract

The study results suggest a synergistic role of high baseline HR and increase in HR during the study period in accelerating age-associated increases in PWV. Inflammation might not be a major factor for this relationship.

The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have been recently much focused as independent risks for cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, the complication of both has a worse prognosis compared with patients with only one of these diseases. However, the details of the underlying mechanisms of this worsened prognosis have not been clear. The cross-sectional study was conducted to examine whether the overlap of COPD augment the increase in arterial stiffness in subjects with OSA. If so, we examined the exaggeration of nocturnal hypoxemia and its related inflammation are related to this augmentation of increased arterial stiffness. In 524 male subjects with OSA diagnosed by polysomnography (apnea-hypopnea index >5/h) (52 ± 14 years old), the forced expiratory volume at 1 s/the forced vital capacity (FEV(1)/FVC) ratio, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), blood C-reactive protein (CRP) and B-natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were measured. The prevalence rate of COPD was 12% in this study subjects. Plasma BNP levels and the crude (median value, 17.2 vs. 14.1 m/s, p < 0.01) and adjusted value of baPWV were significantly higher in subjects with overlap syndrome than in those with OSA alone. However, parameters of nocturnal hypoxemia and serum CRP levels were similar between both groups. Thus, the overlap of COPD in patients with OSA augments increase in arterial stiffness without the exaggeration of nocturnal hypoxemia and inflammation. Even so, this augmentation may partially contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk in the overlap syndrome.

This 3-year prospective study suggested that the baPWV and BMI, but not plasma CRP levels, are not powerful but significant independent markers to identify middle-aged Japanese men with prehypertension at high risk for hypertension.