title: Both diabetes and fetuin-A are independently associated with increased risk of arterial stiffness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arterial stiffness is a functional assessment of vascular damage caused by cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Fetuin-A is associated with subclinical CVD and incident or fatal CVD, with some modification of its effect occurring with the presence of diabetes. We investigated the impact of different glycemic statuses and serum fetuin-A levels on arterial stiffness.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 312 age- and sex-matched subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and newly diagnosed diabetes (NDD) were recruited. Serum fetuin-A levels were measured, and arterial stiffness was assessed by brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (baPWV).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the mean values of baPWV were 1533±338, 1518±353, 1589±307, and 1690±414 cm/s, and fetuin-A levels were 298±69, 313±67, 330±86, and 342±93 μg/ml, in subjects with NGT, IFG, IGT, and NDD, respectively (both p<0.001, test for trend). NDD subjects had significantly higher baPWV and fetuin-A levels than those with NGT. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that age, fetuin-A, diabetes, hypertension, and hypertriglyceridemia are independently associated factors of baPWV after adjusting for cardiometabolic risk factors, HOMA-IR, and adiponectin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both diabetes and fetuin-A levels are independently associated with arterial stiffness. Fetuin-A may further aggravate increased arterial stiffness in diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Medical College and Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Horng-Yih
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Medical College and Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Feng-Hwa
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Herbal Medicine, New Drugs, and Nutritional Supplements, Research and Services Headquarters, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung-Tsung
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Medical College and Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hao-Chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Medical College and Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jin-Shang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Medical College and Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Medical College and Hospital, Taiwan; Research Center of Herbal Medicine, New Drugs, and Nutritional Supplements, Research and Services Headquarters, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. Electronic address: em75210@email.ncku.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Chih-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D059289:Vascular Stiffness; D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; C556354:AHSG protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein
keywords: Arterial stiffness; Diabetes; Fetuin-A