Variables of the insulin resistance syndrome are associated with reduced arterial distensibility in healthy non-diabetic middle-aged women

Aims/hypothesis. The insulin resistance syndrome is related to arterial sti ffness in diabetic subjects. Whether the insulin resistance syndrome is als o related to arterial stiffness in non-diabetic subjects is less clear. We studied the association between variables of the insulin resistance syndrom e in relation to arterial distensibility in healthy middle-aged non-diabeti c women. Methods. This study was done in 180 non-diabetic women, aged 43-55, selecte d from the general population. Arterial distensibility was assessed in the carotid artery. The associations were evaluated using linear regression ana lyses. Results. Strong associations were found between arterial distensibility and the variables of the insulin resistance syndrome: body mass index, waist-t o-hip ratio, high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, insulin, apolipoprotein A1, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1-antigen and t issue-type plasminogen activator-antigen. After additional adjustment for m ean arterial pressure, common carotid arterial distensibility remained asso ciated with body mass index: beta-coefficient (95 % confidence interval) pe r kg/m(2): -0.24 (-0.42, -0.06); waist-to-hip ratio: -26.62 (-40.59; -12.65 ) per m/m; triglycerides: -1.42(-2.77; -0.08) per mmol/l; plasminogen activ ator inhibitor-1-antigen: -0.01 (-0.02, -0.00) per ng/ml and borderline sig nificant associated with high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol: 1.93 (-0.01; 3.87; p = 0.07) per mmol/l. Clustering of variables of the insulin resista nce syndrome was strongly related to decreased arterial distensibility whic h remained after adjustment for mean arterial pressure. No association was found between arterial distensibility and variables that are not part of th e insulin resistance syndrome: total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and apoli poprotein B. Conclusion/interpretation. The results of this study show that variables of the insulin resistance syndrome are associated with decreased arterial dis tensibility of the common carotid artery in healthy non-diabetic subjects.