Vasodilation in resistance arteries is related to the apolipoprotein B/A1 ratio in the elderly: the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies have shown the apolipoprotein B to apolipoprotein A1 ratio (apoB/A1) to be superior to LDL-cholesterol measurements to predict cardiovascular events. The present study aims to relate apoB/A1 to endothelium-dependent vasodilation, an early marker of atherosclerosis, in the Prospective Study of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study.


RESULTS
In this population-based study, 1016 subjects aged 70 years were evaluated by the invasive forearm technique with acetylcholine (EDV), brachial artery ultrasound to assess flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and pulse wave analysis with a beta-2 receptor agonist challenge, terbutaline. EDV and the pulse wave response, but not FMD, were related to apoB/A1 levels (r=-0.11, p=0.0038 for EDV, r=-0.16, p<0.0001 for the pulse wave analysis and r=0.01, p=0.65 for FMD). Neither LDL-cholesterol, nor non-HDL-cholesterol, was significantly related to the measurements of endothelium-dependent vasodilation. Also endothelium-independent vasodilation (EIDV) evaluated by the invasive forearm technique with sodium nitroprusside was related to apoB/A1 levels (r=-0.12, p<0.0016).


CONCLUSIONS
The apoB/A1 levels, but not LDL-cholesterol, were inversely related to endothelium-dependent vasodilation evaluated by EDV and pulse wave analysis, but not by FMD. Also EIDV showed the same pattern, suggesting a general deterioration in vasoreactivity mainly in resistance arteries in elderly subjects with high apoB/A1 levels.
Department of Medicine, Uppsala University Hospital, AstraZeneca R&D Mölndal, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden. lars.lind@medsci.uu.se
Lars
L
Lind
D000368:Aged; D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I / Q000097:blood*; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D016011:Normal Distribution; D013548:Sweden; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*
D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D008074:Lipoproteins