title: Metabolic syndrome is not associated with reduction in aortic distensibility in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aortic distensibility (AD) is a marker of the elastic properties of the aorta. Reduction of AD occurs early in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and it is associated with subclinical generalized atherosclerosis. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is common in subjects with T2DM and predicts cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This study examined the potential relationship between MetS and AD in a cohort of subjects with T2DM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 210 subjects with T2DM were studied. MetS was diagnosed using the NCEP/ATP-III criteria. AD was assessed non-invasively by ultrasonography. The prevalence of MetS was 64.8%. AD was not significantly different between subjects with and without MetS (1.80 +/- 0.54 vs. 1.84 +/- 0.53 10-6 dyn-1 cm2, p = 0.55). Univariate linear regression analysis showed that AD was associated positively with male sex (p = 0.02) as well as glomerular filtration rate (p < 0.001), and negatively with age (p = 0.04), history of hypertension (p = 0.001), as well as duration of diabetes (p < 0.001). After multivariate adjustment, AD was associated independently and significantly only with age (p = 0.02), duration of diabetes p < 0.001), and history of hypertension (p = 0.004); no significant relationship was found with MetS status, the sum of the components of the MetS or the individual components-besides hypertension-of the MetS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In subjects with T2DM, MetS status per se is not associated with reduction of AD. In addition, it was shown that besides ageing, duration of glycemia was a strong predictor of AD. From the components of the MetS only hypertension was associated with reduction of the elastic properties of the aorta.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Propaedeutic Medicine, Laiko General Hospital, Athens University Medical School, 17 Agiou Thoma Street, 115 27, Athens, Greece. ntentol@med.uoa.gr.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tentolouris
authors.forename: Athanasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papazafiropoulou
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moyssakis
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liatis
authors.forename: Despoina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perrea
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kostakis
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katsilambros
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D014463:Ultrasonography