[Metabolic syndrome and aortic stiffness].

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Metabolic Disorders
• Vascular Physiology

Background:

• Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of risk factors including abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hypertension, increasing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes risk.
• Insulin resistance or prediabetes underlies MS, often presenting with subclinical target organ damage like increased aortic stiffness.
• Aortic stiffness, quantified by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV Ao), is an early indicator of atherosclerosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the influence of metabolic syndrome (MS) on aortic stiffness.
• To compare aortic stiffness in women with arterial hypertension and MS versus those without MS.

Main Methods:

• Aortic stiffness was measured using the Arteriograph-Tensiomed device, which analyzes brachial artery pulse wave shape.
• The study compared pulse wave velocity in aorta (PWV Ao) between women with and without MS.

Main Results:

• Of 49 participants, 31 had MS. The MS group exhibited a higher mean number of risk factors (3.7 vs. 1.7).
• Abdominal obesity (87% vs. 44%), hyperglycemia (81% vs. 22%), and low HDL-cholesterol were more prevalent in the MS group.
• Patients with MS had significantly higher mean PWV Ao (10.19 m/s) compared to those without MS (8.96 m/s).

Conclusions:

• Elevated PWV Ao in patients with MS signifies increased aortic stiffness.
• Higher aortic stiffness in MS patients indicates more severe subclinical cardiovascular target organ damage.