Aortic stiffness measured from pulse wave velocity (PWV) was studied during a six-year period in a population of subjects with zero to three and more cardiovascular (CV) factors involving hypertension, body mass index, dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperglycemia. During the follow-up, the increase in PWV was significantly higher in subjects with three and more CV risk factors (i.e., in subjects with metabolic syndrome) than in subjects with zero, one, or two factors, even after adjustments for confounding factors. Metabolic syndrome involves an increased progression of arterial stiffness with age and, thus, favors premature senescence.
Objectives: The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether a clustering of metabolic risk factors might accelerate the progression of arterial stiffness with age in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MS).
Background: Arterial stiffness is increased in MS, but the genetic and environmental factors that might influence its progression are unknown.
Methods: Four hundred seventy-six subjects were classified at baseline according to their number of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors (from zero to three and more), after adjustment for smoking habits. The CV risk factors were: hypertension, body mass index, dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperglycemia, classified according to traditional criterions. Subjects were followed for six years and had, at the beginning and end of the survey, determinations of blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV).
Results: At baseline, BP, HR, plasma creatinine, and PWV were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the group with three and more CV risk factors than in groups with zero to two risk factors. During the follow-up, the increase in PWV, but not in pulse pressure, was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the group with three and more risk factors (i.e., metabolic syndrome) than in other groups. Results were unmodified after adjustments for age, gender, baseline values, drug treatment, smoking habits, and mean arterial pressure.
Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased progression of aortic stiffness with age, supporting premature senescence in these patients.