title: Positive association between increased popliteal artery vessel wall thickness and generalized osteoarthritis: is OA also part of the metabolic syndrome?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to determine if a positive association exists between arterial vessel wall thickness and generalized osteoarthritis (OA). Our hypothesis is that generalized OA is another facet of the metabolic syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical ethical review board of our institution approved the study. Written informed consent was obtained from each patient prior to the study. Magnetic resonance (MR) images of the knee were obtained in 42 patients who had been diagnosed with generalized OA at multiple joint sites. Another 27 MR images of the knee were obtained from a matched normal (non-OA) reference population. Vessel wall thickness of the popliteal artery was quantitatively measured by dedicated software. Linear regression models were used to investigate the association between vessel wall thickness and generalized OA. Adjustments were made for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Confidence intervals (CI) were computed at the 95% level and a significance level of alpha = 0.05 was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in the generalized OA population had a significant higher average vessel wall thickness than persons from the normal reference population (p < or = alpha), even when correction was made for sex, age, and BMI. The average vessel wall thickness of the popliteal artery was 1.09 mm in patients with generalized OA, and 0.96 mm in the matched normal reference population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association found between increased popliteal artery vessel wall thickness and generalized osteoarthritis suggests that generalized OA might be another facet of the metabolic syndrome.
authors: Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, NL-2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands. P.R.Kornaat@lumc.nl
authors: Peter R
authors: PR
authors: Kornaat
authors: Ruby
authors: R
authors: Sharma
authors: Rob J
authors: RJ
authors: van der Geest
authors: Hildo J
authors: HJ
authors: Lamb
authors: Margreet
authors: M
authors: Kloppenburg
authors: Marie-Pierre
authors: MP
authors: Hellio le Graverand
authors: Johan L
authors: JL
authors: Bloem
authors: Iain
authors: I
authors: Watt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic