A cross-sectional evaluation of seasonality as a determinant of endothelial function

Endothelium-dependent vasodilation is impaired in obese versus lean humans. We set out to evaluate whether agonist-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilation varies by season in a cross-sectional dataset of lean and obese humans, and whether this effect differed by obesity status. All vascular studies performed in our laboratory over a 12 year period from 1997 to 2009 were evaluated. Endothelium-dependent vasodilation was measured invasively using thermodilution in the leg as the response to intra-arterially infused methacholine chloride. Resting blood pressure was measured concurrently by cuff and intra-arterially. The association of endothelium-dependent vasodilation and blood pressure measurements with season was evaluated, comparing responses in lean and obese subjects. Endothelium-dependent vasodilation differed between lean and obese subjects, and varied across seasons (p=0.02), but without an interaction between season effect and obesity status. The proportion of obese versus lean subjects differed significantly across seasons in our dataset, and after adjusting for this factor the apparent seasonal variation in endothelium-dependent vasodilation was lost (p=0.12), and was not present in either lean or obese subjects separately. Systolic arterial blood pressure varied across seasons, and this effect remained significant after adjusting obesity status (p=0.019 and p=0.043 for blood pressures measured intra-arterially and by cuff respectively). In our cross-sectional dataset, seasonal variations in blood pressure were seen but we did not observe an association between season and endothelium-dependent vasodilation in lean or obese subjects.