Hypertriglyceridemic Waist in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Its Relationship to Selected Markers of Vascular Damage

To evaluate the association between hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW), a promising marker of visceral adiposity and cardiovascular (CV) risk, and different indicators of vascular damage in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. This case-control study included 161 patients with T2D (91 males, 70 females) and 40 healthy controls (24 males, 16 females). HTWG was defined as waist circumference >90 cm in men or >85 cm in women and triglyceride concentrations >2 mmol/L. In addition to anthropometric and metabolic parameters, markers of endothelial dysfunction, namely von Willebrand factor (vWF) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), were assessed. Arterial stiffness parameters were examined using the SphygmoCor system. Individuals with T2D and HTGW showed the highest elevation of PAI-1 levels and significantly increased vWF levels compared with healthy controls. No significant differences in arterial stiffness markers were observed between T2D individuals. Age and, for several markers, systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure were identified as the main predictors for arterial stiffness, whereas PAI-1 and vWF levels were predicted by metabolic parameters. HTGW represents increased CV risk in T2D patients, mainly due to endothelial damage. The presence of HTGW had no significant effect on arterial stiffness compared with other T2D individuals.