Arterial compliance and distensibility are modulated by body composition in both men and women but by insulin sensitivity only in women

Large artery stiffening could contribute to the development of cardiovascul ar disease. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between a rterial stiffness and diameter with insulin sensitivity and body compositio n in healthy men and women. In healthy, young (<41 years old), non-obese (B MI <27 kg/m(2)) men (n = 17) and women (n = 17), we measured the arterial d iameter, the distension, the distensibility coefficient and the compliance coefficient of the elastic common carotid and muscular femoral arteries wit h a non-invasive ultrasonographic method. We also assessed glucose uptake ( by a euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp technique), total body fat and lea n body mass (by bioelectrical impedance analysis) and abdominal subcutaneou s and visceral fat area (by magnetic resonance imaging). In women, but not in men, the distension and distensibility and compliance coefficients of th e femoral artery were negatively associated with insulin concentrations (be ta = -0.62, p = 0.008; beta = -0.65, p = 0.005 and beta = -0.59, p = 0.01), and positively with glucose uptake (beta = 0.59, p = 0.02; beta = 0.68, p = 0.005 and beta = 0.54, p = 0.04). Associations with glucose uptake were i ndependent of the mean arterial pressure and body composition. In men and w omen, arterial compliance was positively associated with fat mass variables , which were mediated by a strong association between the femoral artery di ameter and lean body mass (beta = 0.80, p < 0.001) and between the common c arotid artery diameter and visceral fat area (beta = 0.56, p = 0.001). We f ound an independent association between insulin resistance and arterial sti ffness, which was more pronounced in women than in men.