Relationship Between Markers of Inflammation and Brachial-Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity in Japanese Men

Abstract

SUMMARYThe objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between markers of inflammation, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), an indicator of arterial stiffness, in Japanese men.We studied 269 male subjects (mean age, 53 years) who entered our health check-up program. Subjects who were receiving any medication were excluded from the study. baPWV was measured using a volume-plethysmographic apparatus (Form /ABI; Colin, Co. Ltd., Komaki, Aichi, Japan). In addition to routine laboratory tests including ESR, serum levels of hsCRP were determined by a highly sensitive ELISA technique.baPWV was significantly correlated with age (r = 0.41, P < 0.0001), height (r = −0.21, P = 0.0006), body weight (r = −0.17, P = 0.007), mean blood pressure (r = 0.66, P < 0.0001), pulse pressure (r = 0.56, P < 0.0001), heart rate (r = 0.25, P < 0.0001), ln (ESR) (r = 0.20, P = 0.001), fasting blood glucose (r = 0.23, P = 0.0001), and ln (serum hsCRP) (r = 0.23, P = 0.0002). baPWV in the highest tertile of ESR was significantly higher than that in the lowest tertile of ESR (P = 0.005). baPWV in the highest tertile of serum hsCRP was significantly higher than those in the lowest tertile (P = 0.002) and the middle tertile of serum hsCRP (P = 0.02). In multiple regression analysis, baPWV significantly correlated with ln (serum hsCRP) independently of other clinical variables that showed a significant correlation with baPWV.baPWV is significantly associated with serum levels of hsCRP in Japanese men, suggesting that inflammation is involved in arterial stiffening. (Int Heart J 2006; 47: 409-420) Key words: Arterial stiffness, Pulse wave velocity, Blood pressure, High-sensitivity, Creactive protein, Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, Inflammation PULSE wave velocity (PWV) is an indicator of arterial stiffness 1-3) and a reliable marker of vascular damage. 4,5) So far, a number of studies have demonstrated that PWV obtained by noninvasive automatic devices is not only a marker of vascular From the Departments of

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“…The distance (L) between the heart and sampling points was calculated automatically according to the subject's height. baPWV was calculated according to the following formula: baPWV = L/T(L = La-Lb, where La is the path length from the heart to ankle, and Lb is the path length from the heart to brachium) [26]. In the present study, the measurement of baPWV was performed on a different occasion from the blood collection so that the participant would be mentally relaxed.…”