[Relationship between brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and metabolic syndrome]

To evaluate the association between brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) among the Chinese elderly and the gender difference.

We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study in a representative urban area of Beijing, China. A sample of 2 102 community elderly (848 males, and 1 254 females) aged 60 to 95 years were included in the study. MetS was defined according to the 2009 harmonizing definition.

The prevalence of MetS was 59.1% (50.1% in males and 65.2% in females, P<0.001). The baPWV value was between 8.2 to 45.6 (20.0 ± 4.4) m/s, and showed an increasing trend with age (P<0.001). The partial correlation showed baPWV was positively associated with BMI (r=0.076, P=0.037), systolic blood pressure (r=0.380, P<0.001), diastolic blood pressure (r=0.276, P<0.001), triglyceride (r=0.040, P=0.046), fasting blood glucose (r=0.140, P<0.001), 2-hour post-meal blood glucose (r=0.121, P<0.001), and negatively associated with HDL-C (r=-0.128, P=0.048). There was a strong association between baPWV and prevalence of MetS and its component number in females but not in males. Compared with the lowest quartile of baPWV, the adjusted ORs were 1.22 (95%CI 0.83-1.79), 1.32 (95%CI 0.90-1.93), 1.46(95%CI 1.00-2.14) in males and 1.28 (95%CI 0.93-1.77), 1.55 (95%CI 1.12-2.16), 1.86(95%CI 1.32-2.61) in females for the second, third and top quartiles.

The prevalence of MetS increases substantially with increasing levels of baPWV among the Chinese elderly, especially in females.