Serum asymmetric dimethylarginine levels among Turks: association with metabolic syndrome in women and tendency to decrease in smokers.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated serum asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels and their association with smoking, metabolic syndrome (MS), and coronary heart disease (CHD) among Turkish adults.


METHODS
Serum ADMA concentrations were measured in a cross-sectional study by a validated ELISA kit in a random sample of 464 Turkish adults (222 men, 242 women; mean age 55+/-11 years; range 34-89). Metabolic syndrome was identified by the criteria of the Adult Treatment Panel-III modified for male abdominal obesity.


RESULTS
The median serum ADMA concentration was 0.80 micromol/l, with the interquartile range of 0.57 to 1.13 micromol/l. Compared to nonsmokers, age-adjusted ADMA level was 20% lower in smoking men (p=0.057), and 6% lower in smoking women (p=0.6). Serum ADMA levels showed significant and positive correlations with age, testosterone, and fibrinogen concentrations in men, and a borderline significance with triglyceride, C-reactive protein, and sex hormone-binding globulin in women. No significant association was found with MS, hypertension, or CHD likelihood among men; but, after adjustment for age, smoking status, and systolic blood pressure, the odds ratio of doubling of ADMA for the likelihood of MS reached significance in women (OR 1.25; 95% CI 1.01; 1.53). Age- and smoking-adjusted ADMA in women tended to be associated also with hypertension (OR 2.55, p=0.07).


CONCLUSIONS
Serum ADMA levels are significantly associated with MS likelihood in women alone, but not with the likelihood for CHD in either gender. Serum ADMA in middle-aged and elderly Turks is inversely associated with cigarette smoking, and thus possibly contributes to the smoking-related protection of Turkish women from MS.
Onat
Altan
A
Department of Cardiology, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty of Istanbul University, Istanbul. alt_onat@yahoo.com.tr
Hergenç
Gülay
G
Can
Günay
G
Karabulut
Ahmet
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking; D014421:Turkey; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
D015415:Biomarkers; C487735:dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine