A slightly high-normal glucose level is associated with increased arterial stiffness in Japanese community-dwelling persons with pre-diabetes

Abstract

Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in diabetes is a risk factor for arterial stiffness and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the impact of a slightly high-normal glucose level remains controversial. We investigated whether slightly high-normal fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was independently associated with arterial stiffness in non-diabetic community-dwelling persons. We recruited 114 men aged 69 ± 9 years (range 40-89) and 208 women aged 68 ± 7 years (range 36-84) during their annual health examination in a single community. Arterial stiffness was evaluated by the mean of the right and left brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV). Age-adjusted ba-PWV increased significantly from the lowest to the highest FPG group (p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analyses for ba-PWV revealed that FPG levels (β=0.154, p < 0.001) were independently and significantly associated with ba-PWV. The multivariate-adjusted ba-PWV value of the high-normal glucose group (Group 3: 95-100 mg/dL) was significantly higher than that of the lowest normal glucose group (Group 1: 52-89 mg/dL) (p=0.021), and the ba-PWV value in the IFG group (Group 4: 101-125 mg/dL) was significantly higher than those of the normal glucose groups (Group 1: <90 mg/dL; Group 2: 90-94 mg/dL) (p<0.001 and p=0.009, respectively). Slightly high-normal glucose levels were associated with arterial stiffness in Japanese communitydwelling persons.

The Independent and Joint Association of Blood Pressure, Serum Total Homocysteine, and Fasting Serum Glucose Levels With Brachial-Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity in Chinese Hypertensive Adults

“…46) Hence, there are some common mechanisms underlying Hcy and FBG leading to arterial stiffness, such as endothelial dysfunction and collagen synthesis. 17) Similarly, our study demonstrated that the coexistence of high FBG and Hcy levels can increase baPWV more than FBG or Hcy alone.…”

“…16) The progressive relationship between glucose level and arterial stiffness extends below the diabetic threshold. 17) Previous studies suggest that increased fasting plasma glucose (FPG), which includes impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and diabetes mellitus (DM), is a risk factor for arterial stiffness. [18][19][20] Homocysteine (Hcy), a sulphur-containing amino acid produced by the catabolism of dietary methionine, is a known risk factor for the cardiovascular system.…”

Sleep disorder, an independent risk associated with arterial stiffness in menopause

“…This may be related to a lower prevalence of diabetes among women (13.3%). In addition, some studies have reported that increased arterial stiffness was not only associated with subjects in diabetes mellitus but also in healthy subjects with impaired fasting glucose 30 or high-normal glucose level 31 . This may partially explain why it’s FBG not diabetes mellitus was independently associated with arterial stiffness.…”

Influence of estrogen-related receptor γ (ESRRG) rs1890552 A > G polymorphism on changes in fasting glucose and arterial stiffness

“…The PWV is an established index of arterial stiffness 22 , and the ba-PWV has characteristics similar to the central aortic PWV 23 . The underlying mechanisms responsible for arterial stiffness are unknown; however, slightly high-normal glucose levels were reported to be associated with arterial stiffness measured using ba-PWV 24 . Indeed, IFG is known to be a risk factor for arterial stiffness and CVD, and the ba-PWV value in the IFG group was significantly higher than the value in the NFG group 24 .…”