The effects of changes in the metabolic syndrome detection status on arterial stiffening: a prospective study

We conducted a prospective study to examine the effects of alterations of the metabolic syndrome detection status on the rate of progression of arterial stiffness, which is recognized as a marker of arterial damage and an indicator of cardiovascular risk. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity as an index of arterial stiffening was recorded twice over a 3-year period in 2080 Japanese men (age, 42 +/- 9 years). At the start of the prospective study, pulse wave velocity was higher in the subjects with metabolic syndrome (n=125) than in those without metabolic syndrome (n=1,955) even after adjusting for mean blood pressure. The annual rate of increase of the pulse wave velocity was higher in the group with persistent metabolic syndrome (27 +/- 51 cm/s/year, n=71) than in the group with regression of metabolic syndrome (6 +/- 39 cm/s/year, n=54) or the group in which metabolic syndrome was absent (13 +/- 37 cm/s/year, n=1843; p < 0.05) after adjustment for changes in blood pressure. In conclusion, the changes in the metabolic syndrome detection status of the subjects during the study period affected the annual rate of progression of arterial stiffening, and persistent metabolic syndrome during the study period was associated with acceleration of arterial stiffening in middle-aged Japanese men. On the other hand, resolution of metabolic syndrome may be associated with attenuation of the progression of arterial damage. Therefore, the increased cardiovascular risk associated with the presence of metabolic syndrome may be at least partly mediated by acceleration of the progression of arterial stiffening.