Arterial compliance and distensibility are modulated by body composition in both men and women but by insulin sensitivity only in women

Abstract

Large artery stiffening could contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between arterial stiffness and diameter with insulin sensitivity and body composition in healthy men and women. In healthy, young (< 41 years old), non-obese (BMI < 27 kg/m2) men (n = 17) and women (n = 17), we measured the arterial diameter, the distension, the distensibility coefficient and the compliance coefficient of the elastic common carotid and muscular femoral arteries with a non-invasive ultrasonographic method. We also assessed glucose uptake (by a euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp technique), total body fat and lean body mass (by bioelectrical impedance analysis) and abdominal subcutaneous and visceral fat area (by magnetic resonance imaging). In women, but not in men, the distension and distensibility and compliance coefficients of the femoral artery were negatively associated with insulin concentrations (beta = -0.62, p = 0.008; beta = -0.65, p = 0.005 and beta = -0.59, p = 0.01), and positively with glucose uptake (beta = 0.59, p = 0.02; beta = 0.68, p = 0.005 and beta = 0.54, p = 0.04). Associations with glucose uptake were independent of the mean arterial pressure and body composition. In men and women, arterial compliance was positively associated with fat mass variables, which were mediated by a strong association between the femoral artery diameter and lean body mass (beta = 0.80, p < 0.001) and between the common carotid artery diameter and visceral fat area (beta = 0.56, p = 0.001). We found an independent association between insulin resistance and arterial stiffness, which was more pronounced in women than in men.

Relation between insulin and aortic stiffness: a population-based study

“…Generally, a positive association has been found between insulin levels and arterial stiffness, but in many of these studies no adequate adjustments for HR were made. [28][29][30][31][32][33] However, in the three recently published studies, using the same methods as in the present study to measure PWV, no independent relationship between insulin and PWV could be identified after adjustment was made for SBP or mean BP, HR, sex, and age, 10-12 so at first glance our findings are not consistent with these results. Another finding that at first glance appears to be in contrast with the findings in the present study comes from Yki-Jarvinen and coworkers, who in different groups of subjects have shown that infusion of insulin producing acute hyperinsulinaemia leads to a marked decrease in large arterial stiffness.…”

“…1 Several other studies have examined the relationship between insulin and arterial stiffness. [15][16][17][18][28][29][30][31][32][33] Many different methods and indices have been used Table 4 because P>0.05: log of VLDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, log of triglycerides, log of glucose, history of diabetes, diastolic BP, treatment of hypertension, BMI, waist/hip ratio, microalbuminuria, left ventricular mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption; X vs o5 beverages per day, physical activity.…”

Influence of Leptin on Arterial Distensibility

“…Insulin resistance has been suggested to explain the link between arterial distensibility and obesity. 6,12 These studies, however, did not usually assess healthy children with a low risk of insulin resistance 4 -7,10 -12 and often used BMI as a relatively inaccurate proxy for adiposity. 6 BMI is a measure of both lean and fat mass, 35 and therefore inaccuracies in predicting fat mass from BMI could explain the earlier inconsistent associations between arterial distensibility and BMI 4 -6,10,12 and the lack of such a relation in our study.…”

“…8,9 Furthermore, weight loss has been shown to improve arterial stiffness. 4,10,11 It is not clear, however, whether obesity has a direct influence on arterial distensibility or whether its adverse effects are mediated by risk factors associated with obesity, such as insulin resistance 6,12 or inflammation.…”

Cardiometabolic Determinants of Carotid and Aortic Distensibility From Childhood to Early Adulthood

“…In line, previous reports in adults have shown that insulin resistant subjects have decreased arterial distensibility. 4,13,29 In the Hoorn study, both impaired glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes mellitus were associated with decreased arterial distensibility. 30 In adults, obesityassociated hyperinsulinemia has also been suggested to relate with decreased arterial distensibility.…”