title: Metabolic syndrome and arterial elasticity in youth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare arterial elasticity in children, adolescents, and young adults with and without metabolic syndrome (MetS), and to assess which MetS components, demographic measures, and body composition measures are associated with arterial elasticity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-hundred six subjects (107 females and 99 males) between the ages of 10 and 20years were recruited by local newspaper advertisements, university email advertisements, and informational flyers. Subjects were assessed on MetS components, demographic measures, body composition measures, and arterial elasticity via radial tonometry. Forty-five subjects (22%) had MetS, as defined by the International Diabetes Federation, and 161 subjects (78%) did not.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The primary novel finding was that group differences were not observed for large artery elasticity index (LAEI) (MetS=16.1±4.4 (ml×mmHg(-1))×10 (mean±SD), control=15.4±4.9, (ml×mmHg(-1))×10, p=0.349), and small artery elasticity index (SAEI) (MetS=9.2±2.7 (ml×mmHg(-1))×100, control=8.4±2.9, (ml×mmHg(-1))×100, p=0.063). In the MetS group, fat free mass was positively associated with arterial elasticity, and was the strongest multivariate predictor of LAEI (partial R(2)=0.41) and SAEI (partial R(2)=0.29).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Youth with MetS did not exhibit differences in LAEI and SAEI compared to controls. Furthermore, fat free mass of youth with MetS was positively associated with arterial elasticity, and was the strongest predictor of both LAEI and SAEI. The clinical implication is that exercise intervention designed to increase fat free mass might increase arterial elasticity in youth, particularly in youth with MetS.
authors.affiliation: CMRI Diabetes and Metabolic Research Program, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73117, USA. andrew-gardner@ouhsc.edu
authors.forename: Andrew W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: Donald E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Sowmya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.forename: Laura J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Chalmers
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D004548:Elasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D055815:Young Adult