Age-dependent relation of serum sialic acid concentration to aortic pulse wave velocity in type 2 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine whether age affects the significance of serum sialic acid concentration as a marker of atherosclerosis in patients with diabetes.


METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the relationship of serum sialic acid concentration to aortic pulse wave velocity (a-PWV) and the effects of age on this relationship in patients with type 2 diabetes.


RESULTS
In the elderly (70 years or over) diabetic patients, a-PWV showed a significant positive correlation with serum sialic acid. This relationship was also significant after adjustment for age, duration of diabetes, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and fibrinogen levels. In elderly diabetic patients, a-PWV also showed a significant positive correlation with age and duration of diabetes and a significant negative correlation with serum HDL cholesterol level. On the other hand, in the younger (31-60 years) diabetic patients, there was no significant correlation between serum sialic acid level and a-PWV, while a-PWV showed significant positive correlations with age, duration of diabetes and plasma fibrinogen level.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum sialic acid level reflects atherosclerosis in elderly diabetic patients but not in younger diabetic patients. This may explain recent controversial findings regarding the relationship between serum sialic acid level and incidence of coronary heart disease in diabetes.
Wakabayashi
I
I
Department of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan. wakabaya@med.id.yamagata-u.ac.jp
Masuda
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001011:Aorta / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D011674:Pulse
D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid