Arterial stiffness, metabolic syndrome and inflammation amongst Asian ischaemic stroke patients.
OBJECTIVE
Arterial stiffness and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are risk factors for ischaemic stroke. We studied the association of arterial stiffness, measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and MetS amongst ischaemic stroke patients. We also investigated the role of inflammation measured by serum erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in the metabolic syndrome-arterial stiffness relationship.


METHODS
Amongst the 229 prospectively recruited acute ischaemic stroke patients, we measured carotid-femoral PWV using applanation tonometry and the inflammatory marker serum ESR.


RESULTS
Carotid-femoral PWV was significantly higher amongst patients with MetS (P = 0.002), increased waist circumference (P = 0.010), raised blood pressure (P < 0.001) and abnormal glycemia (P = 0.002); and increased with the number of MetS components (P = 0.002). In a sub-group of 199 patients, carotid-femoral PWV was significantly correlated with serum ESR (P < 0.001). In multivariate regression analysis including serum ESR and MetS as variables, carotid-femoral PWV was independently associated with higher ESR (P = 0.002) but not with MetS (P = 0.139).


CONCLUSIONS
Arterial stiffness is significantly associated with MetS amongst ischaemic stroke patients, and inflammation appears to be involved in this relationship.
De Silva
D A
DA
Department of Neurology, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore, Singapore. deidre.a.de.silva@sgh.com.sg
Woon
F-P
FP
Gan
H-Y
HY
Cameron
J
J
Kingwell
B
B
Koh
T-H
TH
Chen
C
C
Chang
H-M
HM
Wong
M-C
MC
D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D044466:Asian People; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011673:Pulsatile Flow / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology*; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology