Biomedical subjects

C Bonithon-Kopp

Publications and source records attributed to C Bonithon-Kopp.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

Cross-sectional and 4-year longitudinal associations between brachial pulse pressure and common carotid intima-media thickness in a general population. The EVA study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The cross-sectional and 4-year longitudinal associations between brachial pulse pressure (PP) and ultrasound measurements of common carotid intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) were assessed. METHODS: A population of 957 volunteers aged 59 to 71 years was recruited from the electoral rolls of the city of Nantes (western France) and reexamined 4 years later. Longitudinal changes in PP and CCA-IMT were computed as the difference between 4-year follow-up and baseline values. RESULTS: Baseline CCA-IMT and PP were positively associated in both age- and sex-adjusted analysis (partial correlation coefficient=0.20, P<0.001) and in multivariate analysis adjusted for traditional cardiovascular risk factors and mean blood pressure (partial correlation coefficient=0.18, P<0.001). In longitudinal analysis, baseline PP was associated with the change in 4-year CCA-IMT (partial correlation coefficient=0.11, P<0.001), and baseline CCA-IMT was a predictor of the 4-year change in PP (partial correlation coefficient=0.10, 0.001<P<0.01). No association between mean blood pressure and CCA-IMT was observed once PP was taken into account, in either cross-sectional or longitudinal analyses (partial correlation coefficients ranged from 0.00 to 0.03). Similar patterns of results were observed in hypertensive, nonhypertensive, and antihypertensive-treated and -nontreated subjects. CONCLUSIONS: This longitudinal study of a large population of relatively aged subjects suggests that elevated levels of PP are associated with the progression of CCA-IMT, and increased CCA-IMT is associated with PP widening. The nature of these relationships and whether atherosclerosis progression over time is involved or not in these associations merit further investigations.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Residential magnetic field measurements in France: comparison of indoor and outdoor measurements.

Residential magnetic field (MF) measurements were performed for the first time in a representative sample of French dwellings. Exposure levels were assessed by two methods: indoor and outdoor measurements. Linear and logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with the time-weighted average (TWA) home MF. TWA magnetic field magnitudes were approximately log-normally distributed with geometric means under 0.010 microT for both indoor and outdoor measurements. Only 5% of the dwellings presented indoor MF levels greater than 0.120 microT (1.2 mG). Both indoor and outdoor MF variations were explained by three factors: wiring configuration, the dwelling's location (i.e., urban or rural), and housing characteristics (individual houses or apartment building). The reliability of outdoor spot measurements with 30-min bedroom recordings was assessed by an intraclass correlation coefficient. The measurements were accurate in rural areas and small towns. In urban centers, local MF variations spoil the outdoor measurement's reliability. If indoor measurements are taken as the reference method, the use of outdoor instead of indoor measurement leads to an important decrease in statistical power. Further assessment of MF near high power transmission lines is necessary to evaluate the usefulness of outdoor spot recordings near such lines. The urban MF environment also has to be explored to identify extraneous sources.

Case-Control Studies↗

PubMed1999

Are there several colorectal cancers? Epidemiological data.

The knowledge of descriptive epidemiology of colorectal cancer is a prerequisite essential to a better understanding of the aetiology of the disease and the development of prevention strategies. This work provides an update of descriptive epidemiological data on colorectal cancer incidence in the world. In 1988-1992, incidence rates of colorectal cancer varied from 15- to 25-fold according to the geographical area. The highest rates were observed in Western countries, especially in North America, Australasia and, to a lesser extent, in northern and western Europe. The geographical distribution of colorectal cancer was similar in men and women. An examination of incidence data by subsites showed that the magnitude of geographical variations was more important for colon cancer than for rectal cancer. Contrasting with the male predominance for rectal cancer and, to a lesser degree, for left colon cancer, cancers of the right colon were found to be as frequent in women as in men. Examination of time trends during the last decades reveals a sharp increase in incidence of colorectal cancer in Japan and in eastern and southern Europe. On the other hand, incidence rates show some stagnation in North America and western Europe in recent years. In fact, there are some suggestions for differential time trends according to the anatomical subsite, with a recent proximal shift in the distribution of cancers of the large bowel in Western countries. In conclusion, descriptive epidemiological data support the notion that distinct pathogenic mechanisms may be involved in the carcinogenesis of the proximal and distal bowel.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Systemic oxidative stress and cognitive performance in the population-based EVA study. Etude du Vieillissement Artériel.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between cognitive functioning and blood levels of antioxidants and lipoperoxidation products in an elderly population. In 1991-1992, 1389 volunteers (574 men and 815 women aged 59 to 71 years) were recruited from the general population. Levels of selenium, carotenoids, and thiobarbituric-reactive substances in plasma and of vitamin E, glutathione peroxidase, and Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase in red blood cells were measured. Cognitive functioning was assessed with various psychometric tests. We used logistic regression to estimate the risk of poor cognitive functioning (< 25th percentile of the score distribution) associated with low values of each antioxidants (< 25th percentile) including potential confounding factors. A low level of total carotenoids (< 1.86 mumol/l) was associated with poor cognitive performance in two tests assessing visual attention and logical reasoning: the Trail-Making Test part B [OR = 1.34 IC95% (0.99-1.81), p = .055] and the Digit Symbol Substitution from the WAIS-R [OR = 1.38 IC95% (1.02-1.89), p = .04]. Low levels of other antioxidants and high levels of thiobarbituric-reactive substances were not related to poor cognitive functioning. Results observed with plasma carotenoids are in accordance with previous data obtained mostly from dietary records.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

Demographic and cardiovascular risk factors in relation to antioxidant status: the EVA Study.

The aim of the study was to examine the determinants of blood antioxidant indicators on a large sample. Levels of plasma selenium and carotenoids, vitamin E in red blood cells, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were determined. The cross-sectional relationships between these markers and demographic and cardiovascular risk factors were examined in participants of the EVA study, a cohort of 1389 men and women, aged 59-71 years. Multivariable regression models including demographic (age, sex, socio-economic level), lifestyle (alcohol, tobacco), clinical and metabolic (lipids, glycemia) factors were used. Women had higher levels of plasma carotenoids, TBARS and red blood cell vitamin E. Cholesterol levels were positively associated to lipid-soluble vitamins, selenium and TBARS. Use of lipid-lowering drugs was positively associated with selenium and vitamin E and negatively with carotenoids. Body mass index was the strongest determinant of plasma carotenoids. Education and income levels were positively associated with selenium and total carotenoids. Tobacco consumption was negatively associated with red blood cell vitamin E, whereas alcohol consumption was positively associated with TBARS. This study emphasizes the respective place of the various determinants of antioxidant status. When considering tissue antioxidant indicators, analyses should take into account not only the metabolic parameters but also socio-economic factors and the subject's life style.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

[Extra-coronary atherosclerosis in documented coronary patients].

The prevalence and severity of extracoronary atherosclerosis in 728 patients (572 men and 156 women; average age 59 years) referred for coronary angiography and who had a history of coronary disease for at least 2 years, were assessed by ultrasonography. This population was divided into 3 groups: Group I, 115 patients without lesions at coronary angiography: Group II, 76 patients with mild coronary stenosis ang Group III, 537 patients with at least one severe coronary artery stenosis, a group which included 294 cases of single vessel disease. The authors observed a strong correlation between the presence, severity and diffusion of the coronary artery disease and ultra sonographic signs of peripheral arterial disease: the frequency increased regularly from 45% in Group I to 88% in patients with triple vessel disease in Group III. About two thirds of patients in Group III had carotid or lower limb atherosclerosis and half of them had atherosclerosis or aneurysm of the abdominal aorta. Severe peripheral lesions were not common but all the aortic aneurysms were observed in Group III. Similarly, simultaneous disease in all three peripheral arterial territories ranged from 12% in Group I to 51% in Group III. The risk of finding peripheral arterial disease was increased in patients with coronary artery disease compared with normal subjects. For each peripheral localisation, the risk was two-fold in cases of mild coronary disease and three or four-fold in patients with triple vessel disease in whom the risk of finding at least one severe peripheral lesion was multiplied by ten. The authors conclude that the prevalence and severity of ultrasonographic peripheral atherosclerosis in documented coronary patients was closely related to the presence, severity and diffusion of the coronary lesions.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Combined effects of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status on carotid atherosclerosis in a population aged 59-71 y: The EVA Study. Etude sur le Vieillisement Artériel.

There are few epidemiologic studies of the effects of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status on atherosclerosis. The relation of lipid peroxidation evaluated by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and biological markers of antioxidant status to ultrasonographically assessed carotid atherosclerosis was examined from baseline data of a longitudinal study on cognitive and vascular aging (Etude sur le Vieillisement Artériel, the EVA Study). The study sample was composed of 1187 mean and women aged 59-71 y without any history of coronary artery disease or stroke. Ultrasound examination included measurements of intima-media thickness (IMT) on the common carotid arteries (CCAs) and at the site of plaques. After adjustment for conventional cardiovascular risk factors, erythrocyte vitamin E was significantly and negatively associated with CCA-IMT in both men and women whereas plasma selenium and carotenoids were not. No association was found between TBARS and CCA-IMT in either sex. However, TBARS were significantly higher in men with carotid plaques than in those without. This association was strengthened in men with concentrations of erythrocyte vitamin E, plasma selenium, and carotenoids below the lowest quartile. Our findings give some epidemiologic support to the hypothesis that lipid peroxidation and low antioxidant status are involved in the early phases of atherosclerosis.

Aged↗

PubMed1996

Relation of serum elastase activity to ultrasonographically assessed carotid artery wall lesions and cardiovascular risk factors. The EVA study.

The potential interest of serum elastase activity (SEA) as a marker of vascular aging and atherosclerosis was studied as part of an epidemiological study on vascular and cognitive aging (EVA Study). SEA was measured in 555 men and 774 women aged 59-71 years with a synthetic substrate, suc(ala)3pNA, according to a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA)-type procedure. The distribution of SEA-values was skewed to the right in men and women, the mean value was 0.52 +/- 0.55 U/ml in males and 0.43 +/- 0.52 U/ml for females. This difference could be entirely explained by alcohol consumption. SEA increased strongly with alcohol consumption in males and females. It was also positively and significantly correlated with body mass index (BMI) and systolic blood pressure (SBP). SEA significantly decreased with age in men and was not influenced by smoking in either sex. SEA was significantly increased in diabetic men compared with non-diabetics and a similar trend, although not significant, was observed in women. When both sexes were combined, the association between diabetes and SEA was independent of other clinical risk factors. No significant associations were observed with intima-media thickness or atherosclerotic plaques assessed by B-mode carotid ultrasonography. Among biological risk factors, triglycerides (in both sexes) and glucose (in men) appeared the strongest correlates of increase in SEA. In multivariate analysis, independent determinants of an increased SEA were age, alcohol consumption, triglycerides and glucose in men, and alcohol consumption and triglycerides in women.

Aged↗

PubMed1996

Relation of intima-media thickness to atherosclerotic plaques in carotid arteries. The Vascular Aging (EVA) Study.

This study examined the relation between arterial wall thickness and local atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries (CAs) and their specific risk factors. B-mode ultrasonography of the CAs was performed in a cohort of 516 men and 756 women aged 59 to 71 years who had been recruited for the European Vascular Aging Study. Ultrasound examination included measurement of intima-media thickness of the common CA (CCA) and the sites of plaque in the internal CA and bifurcations. Significant associations between increases in CCA intima-media thickness and both the presence and severity of atherosclerotic plaque were found in men and women. Examination of specific risk factors for increases in CCA intima-media thickness in the presence of plaque showed that, after adjustment for sex, both ultrasound measurements were independently related to age, body mass index, hypertension, and ever smoking (versus never smoking). Diabetes and current smoking were associated with intima-media thickness only, whereas hypercholesterolemia was related to plaque only. However, when subjects who were taking lipid-lowering drugs were excluded, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins were more consistently related to intima-media thickness than to plaque. In subjects free from any antihypertensive treatment, both intima-media thickness and plaques were independently associated with systolic blood pressure. After adjustment for sex and other risk factors, the odds ratio for having at least one plaque associated with a 0.10-mm increase in CCA intima-media thickness was 1.18 (95% confidence interval, 1.05 to 1.32). In this relatively aged population, increases in intima-media thickness as measured in the CCAs were clearly related to locally detected atherosclerosis and known risk factors for atherosclerosis. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the role of arterial wall thickening in the atherosclerotic process.

Aged↗

PubMed1996

Weights at birth and in early infancy, systolic pressure, and left ventricular structure in subjects aged 8 to 24 years.

The objective of this study was to determine whether systolic pressure and left ventricular mass in children, adolescents, and young adults are related to fetal and infant growth. Blood pressure measurements and M-mode echocardiography were performed in 210 subjects aged 8 to 24 years whose information on weights at birth and in early infancy, written by physicians, was obtained from the children's health record booklets. Systolic pressure, adjusted for sex and current height or for sex, current age, weight, and height, was the highest in subjects with low birth weight. No association was observed between systolic pressure and weight at either 9 months or 2 years. Left ventricular mass, adjusted for sex and current height or for sex, current age, weight, and height, increased with decreasing weight at 9 months or 2 years, independent of systolic pressure. Increased ventricular mass associated with reduced infant growth was concentric, resulting from a proportionate thickening of the posterior wall and interventricular septum. Left ventricular mass was not related to birth weight. These findings were observed in both sexes and in all age subgroups and were independent of gestational age, birth order, and parental risk factors. This study supports the hypothesis that systolic pressure and left ventricular mass might be partly determined during fetal life and early infancy. The mechanisms that underlie the associations of blood pressure and left ventricular structure with weights at birth and in early infancy should be studied thoroughly.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Factors of carotid arterial enlargement in a population aged 59 to 71 years: the EVA study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Factors of carotid arterial enlargement are not well known in general populations. The purpose of this study was to assess the cross-sectional associations of arterial wall lesions and cardiovascular risk factors with carotid lumen diameter in elderly subjects. METHODS: B-mode ultrasound examinations of the carotid arteries and risk factor assessment were made in 1272 participants in the EVA (Etude sur le vieillissement artériel) Study, a longitudinal study designed to evaluate vascular and cognitive aging in men and women aged 59 to 71 years. Ultrasound examinations included measurements of intima-media thickness (IMT) and interadventitial and lumen diameters of the common carotid arteries and quantification of atherosclerotic plaques in extracranial carotid arteries. RESULTS: Men showed greater IMT interadventitial and lumen diameters of the common carotid arteries than did women. In both sexes, common IMT and plaque score were positively associated with common interadventitial and lumen diameters. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that male sex, body height and weight, common IMT, plaque score, systolic blood pressure, and alcohol consumption were positively and independently related to lumen diameter. On the other hand, an independent negative association was observed between low density lipoprotein cholesterol and lumen diameter. CONCLUSIONS: In 59- to 71-year-old subjects, increased IMT and atherosclerotic plaques were accompanied by an increase in lumen diameter of the common carotid arteries, indicating an overcompensation. Luminal enlargement observed with several risk factors and with high blood pressure in particular might be partially counteracted by high lipid levels.

Aged↗

PubMed1996

Ultrasonographic assessment of carotid wall characteristics and cognitive functions in a community sample of 59- to 71-year-olds. The EVA Study Group.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study was aimed at analyzing cross-sectional relationships between cognitive performance and ultrasonographic assessment of carotid wall characteristics. METHODS: A cohort of 1279 subjects (men, 41%) aged 59 to 71 years was recruited from the electoral rolls of the city of Nantes (western France). Cognitive performances were evaluated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and seven neuropsychological tests assessing attention, psychomotor rapidity, verbal abilities, memory, and visuospatial perception. For each test, subjects were classified into three performance levels with a quartile distribution: 25% highest, 25% lowest, and 50% middle. The intima-media thickness of common carotid arteries and the presence of plaques in the carotid arteries were assessed with B-mode ultrasound examination. RESULTS: Only 28% of men and 17% of women had carotid plaques inducing moderate stenosis of the lumen ( < 40%). After adjustment for possible confounders, odds ratios for poor cognitive performance associated with plaques were above 1 for all cognitive tests in men. This association was statistically significant for the MMSE and another test assessing attention skills. There was a slight association between increase of the common carotid intima-media thickness and poor cognitive scores in men with plaques. In women, no association was found between cognitive functions and presence of plaques or intima-media thickness. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated a moderate association between atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries and poor cognitive functioning in men aged 59 to 71 years. In view of these moderate cross-sectional results, further studies are required to better assess the relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and cognitive impairment.

Aged↗

PubMed1995

Combined effects of blood pressure and body mass index on left ventricular structure in middle-aged males: cross-sectional and 2-year longitudinal results.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the 2-year longitudinal with the cross-sectional relationships of blood pressure and body mass index with echocardiographic left ventricular measurements in middle-aged males with no history of cardiovascular disease or hypertension. METHODS: M-mode echocardiograms of adequate quality were obtained at initial and 2-year follow-up examinations in 177 subjects. Measurements of left ventricular wall thickness and internal dimensions were made, and estimates of left ventricular mass/height were calculated. Longitudinal changes in left ventricular measurements and risk factors were computed as the differences between the follow-up and initial values. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was significantly associated with left ventricular mass/height and wall thickness in cross-sectional and in longitudinal analyses. Similar results were observed after adjusting for age, body mass index, sport activity and heart rate. Although body mass index was strongly related to left ventricular mass/height, wall thickness and internal dimension in the cross-sectional study, no significant associations were observed between changes in body mass index and in left ventricular measurements. CONCLUSIONS: The present study emphasizes the differential effects of spontaneous changes in blood pressure and body mass index on the evolution of the left ventricular mass in middle-aged males. Spontaneous changes in SBP during the 2-year follow-up period were associated with rapid changes in left ventricular structure. The 2-year period might not have been sufficient for body mass index to induce changes in left ventricular structure. The duration and amplitude of body weight changes which entail changes in left ventricular mass remain to be determined by further longitudinal investigations.

Blood Pressure↗

PubMed1995

[Detection of asymptomatic abdominal aorta in coronary disease patients having undergone coronarography].

Detection of asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAAA) was studied in 780 patients whose coronary disease had been evolving for less than 2 years, who had undergone coronagraphy within the framework of the French ALAC Survey (Autres Localisations de l'Athérosclérose chez le Coronarien--other locations of atherosclerosis in coronary disease) and had an interpretable abdominal aortic echography. Clinical and echographic research detected 19 AAAA cases in 15 men and 4 women aged 53 to 77 years having at coronagraphy at least one stenosis > or = 70% on one of the 3 coronary trunks or > or = 50% on the commun trunk. Among the 577 coronary disease patients with at least one significant stenosis, the prevalence of AAAA was 3.3%. Seventeen aneurysms were missed at abdominal palpation. A subgroup of 458 patients aged 50 to 79 years had significant coronary stenosis without history of aortic surgery. There was no significant difference between the 19 AAAA cases and the 439 cases of coronary disease without aortic aneurysm, as regards risk factors, especially age, high blood pressure and tobacco consumption. On the other hand, the 19 AAAA cases had more diffused and more severe atherosclerotic lesions in the lower limbs and carotid arteries. Abdominal echography is essential for the detection of AAAA in patients with coronary disease.

Aged↗

PubMed1995

[Elastolysis, aging and atherogenesis].

In order to explore the potential role and importance of elastin fiber degradation in atherogenesis we determined in more than 1,400 individuals (males and females between 59 and 71 years of age), [the EVA epidemiological study] serum parameters related to elastin fiber degradation: serum elastase activity, circulating elastin peptides and serum elastase inhibitor titers. Significant correlations were found these between parameters and several other serum constituents considered as risk-factors of atherogenesis--essentially serum lipid-parameters and glycemia as well as several other biological factors. These correlations confirm the validity of the underlying hypothesis concerning the interest of the clinical determinations of these elastin-related parameters and the potential role of the permanent activation of the endothelial elastin-receptor in atherogenesis.

Aged↗

PubMed1994

Plasma angiotensin-converting enzyme activity and carotid wall thickening.

BACKGROUND: Mechanisms underlying the previously reported association between a deletion polymorphism in the gene encoding for angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and the risk of myocardial infarction in low-risk subjects are unclear. The purpose of this case-control study was to examine the relation of plasma ACE activity to intimal-medial thickness of the carotid wall measured ultrasonographically in an apparently healthy population. METHODS AND RESULTS: We determined plasma ACE activity in 80 pairs of subjects without any history of ischemic heart disease or any treatment of hypertension and diabetes. Cases and control subjects were defined on the basis of intimal-medial thickness measured in the common carotid arteries by B-mode ultrasound and were matched for sex, sonographer, and the presence of atheromatous plaques. Subjects were selected from a sample of 434 men and 602 women between 60 and 69 years old participating in an ongoing study on vascular aging (EVA). Subjects with intimal-medial thickening (cases) showed a slight but not significant increase in plasma ACE activity in comparison with control subjects (P < .16). However, after exclusion of subjects receiving lipid-lowering drugs, the mean plasma ACE activity became significantly higher in cases than in control subjects (29.9 +/- 7.7 U/L versus 27.5 +/- 8.0 U/L; n = 54 pairs, P < .03). The mean case-control difference in plasma ACE activity was further increased when analysis was restricted to pairs without carotid atheromatous plaques (n = 42 pairs). After adjustment for body mass index, smoking, and systolic blood pressure, the odds ratio for having carotid wall thickening based on 1 SD difference in log ACE was 2.29 (95% confidence interval, 1.16 to 4.52; P < .02). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study suggest that chronic exposure to high levels of plasma ACE could be involved in structural changes of the arterial wall.

Aged↗

PubMed1993

Haemostatic variables and menopausal status: influence of hormone replacement therapy.

Large cohort studies have shown that postmenopausal estrogen use was associated with a reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease. This putative beneficial effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be partly mediated through changes in clotting factors and fibrinolytic system. We have measured haemostatic variables in 293 consecutive healthy women aged 45-54 years who attended a health check-up centre in Paris (IPC). Premenopausal women taking hormonal therapy were excluded (n = 34). Most women using HRT were given 17-beta estradiol in combination with progestin. Mean levels (m +/- sd) of plasma fibrinogen, factor VII coagulant activity and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) were significantly higher in postmenopausal women not taking HRT (n = 99) than in premenopausal women (n = 139) within the same decade (319 +/- 52 mg/dl vs 304 +/- 60 mg/dl, 107 +/- 17% vs 96 +/- 16%, 9.73 +/- 5.71 U/ml vs 7.61 +/- 4.36 U/ml respectively). Allowance for main cardiovascular risk factors made no substantial differences to the results, although the effect of the menopause on fibrinogen was no longer significant. HRT (n = 21) significantly reversed the menopause-related changes in factor VII (94 +/- 15%), even after adjustment for confounding factors. The same trend in both fibrinogen (294 +/- 46 mg/dl) and PAI (8.22 +/- 5.51 U/ml) was observed. Similar results were found in women using oral or percutaneous estrogen. Our findings suggest that 17-beta estradiol in combination with progestins may protect against an increased thrombotic tendency in postmenopausal women. Randomized clinical trials are urgently needed for a better understanding of HRT effect on atherothrombotic process.

Coronary Disease↗

PubMed1993

Relations of cardiovascular risk factors to aortic pulse wave velocity in asymptomatic middle-aged women.

Cross-sectional associations between aortic elasticity assessed by carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and cardiovascular risk factors were examined in 429 apparently healthy middle-aged women. PWV was strongly and positively related to blood pressure and hypertension. Weak but significant positive associations were also found between PWV and age, heart rate, some lipids and lipoproteins, blood glucose (either as a continuous or dichotomous variable), body mass index, haematocrit, leucocyte count and family history of diabetes. No associations were observed between PWV and high density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1, fibrinogen, cigarette smoking, menopausal status and a family history of hypertension or myocardial infarction. After adjustment for systolic blood pressure, PWV remained significantly related to heart rate, leucocyte count, blood glucose (as a dichotomous variable) and a family history of diabetes. Multiple regression analysis showed that systolic blood pressure and, to a lesser extent, heart rate, leucocyte count and a family history of diabetes were all independent determinants of PWV. This pattern of associations suggests that arterial stiffness measured by PWV reflects the sclerotic rather than the atherotic component of atherosclerosis. The potential influence of a family history of diabetes on the elastic properties of the aorta needs to be ascertained in further studies.

Age Factors↗