T-005 ELEVATED BLOOD PRESSURE IS THE MAJOR DETERMINANT FOR INCREASED ARTERIAL STIFFNESS IN OBESE ADULTS

Background Arterial stiffening can reflect early vascular damage and is associated with both target organ damage and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Studies have shown that obese adults have stiffer arteries than those of normal weight. We conducted a study to evaluate the determinants for arterial stiffness in obese adults. Methods Sixty-nine obese adults (≥20 years of age) with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2 were studied. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) and blood pressure were measured by volume-plethysmographic apparatus (VP 2000; Colin Co. Ltd., Komaki, Japan). The patients’ anthropometric information, including their age, sex, height, weight and waist circumference, was recorded. Blood samples were taken for biochemical analysis of fasting glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides. Results The average brachial-ankle PWV correlated with systolic blood pressure (P < 0.001), serum cholesterol (P = 0.015), triglyceride (P = 0.036), glucose (P = 0.045) level and age (P = 0.029). It did not correlate with BMI and waist circumference although it showed a moderate association between blood pressure and BMI or waist circumference. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed systolic blood pressure to be the most powerful determinant for average brachial-ankle PWV, followed by age. Conclusions Risk factors of atherosclerosis were associated with brachial-ankle PWV in obese. However, blood pressure was still the major determinant for arterial stiffness in obese adults.