title: Evaluation of aortic stiffness in Gilbert syndrome patients: a protective effect of elevated bilirubin levels.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Gilbert's syndrome (GS) is an autosomal recessive disease that is characterized by an increase in indirect bilirubin (IB). The incidence of atherosclerotic heart disease is decreased in GS. This study aimed to investigate the relation between pulse wave velocity (PWV) and the presence of GS.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 58 GS patients (32 females, age; 27.12 ± 7.27 years, 26 males, age; 26.63 ± 5.84 years) admitted to the internal medicine clinic of the hospital. The control group included 58 healthy individuals (35 females [27.33 ± 8.06 years old, p=0.716] and 23 males [27.38 ± 6.91 years old, p=0.923]). PWV of both groups was measured from the right carotid and femoral arteries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age of the GS group was 26.03 ± 8.22 years, while that of the healthy group was 26.60 ± 5.84 years. The GS group's diastolic blood pressure and PWV were significantly lower than those of the control group: 67.76 ± 8.59 mmHg vs 71.72 ± 7.28 mmHg; p=0.008, and 5.63 ± 1.12 m/s vs 6.18 ± 1.22 m/s; p=0.014 respectively. The GS group's high density lipoprotein (HDL) level was significantly higher than that of the control group: 1.4 ± 0.3 mmol/L vs 1.2 ± 0.3 mmol/L, p=0.029.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found PWV among GS patients to be lower than that among non-smoking and aged-matched healthy controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Faculty of Medicine, Rize, Turkey.
authors.forename: Süleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yüce
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Faculty of Medicine, Rize, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cüre
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Faculty of Medicine, Rize, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yüksel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Çiçek
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Faculty of Medicine, Rize, Turkey.
authors.forename: Medine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cumhur Cüre
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Faculty of Medicine, Rize, Turkey.
authors.forename: Arif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Faculty of Medicine, Rize, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bayram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kızılkaya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001011:Aorta / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005878:Gilbert Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D059289:Vascular Stiffness
chemical_list: D001663:Bilirubin