VASCULAR FUNCTION CORRELATES WITH RISK-FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE IN A HEALTHY POPULATION OF 35-YEAR-OLD SUBJECTS

Objective. To investigate whether, in a healthy, randomly selected pop ulation of 35-year-old men and women, there is a relation between vasc ular function and conventional risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as gender, smoking, elevated blood-lipids, high blood pressure a nd heredity for cardiovascular disease, and to blood glucose. Design. Basal brachial artery diameter was measured. Endothelial function was measured as now mediated dilation (FMD) in response to reactive hypera emia. The nonendothelial dependent dilation was measured after subling ual nitro-glycerine (NTG). Setting. A research centre of general medic ine and a university hospital. Subjects. One hundred men and 100 women all 35 years old, were invited by letter. Sixty-six of the 92 men (72 %) living in the community and 74 of the 88 women (84%) participated. Results. Gender had the largest influence on FMD and NTG induced arter ial dilation, probably reflecting the larger vessel diameters in the m en as FMD and NTG induced dilation is inversely related to basal vesse l size (r = -0.55, P < 0.001 and r = -0.40, P < 0.001). In women basal vessel diameter was positively correlated to blood glucose (r = 0.35, P = 0.009) and BMI (r = 0.34, P = 0.012) and negatively correlated to HDL cholesterol (r = -0.43, P = 0.001). FMD and NTG induced arterial dilation correlated with a combined risk factor score (r = -0.32, P = 0.019 and r = -0.31, P = 0.024). The men with the highest risk factor scores had larger vessel size and higher blood now at rest compared to men without risk factors (4.8 +/- 0.6 mm, 240 +/- 84 mL min(-1) and 4 .0 +/- 0.8 mm, 139 +/- 72 mL min(-1), respectively, P = 0.014 and P = 0.016). FMD or NTG induced dilation did not correlate to any of the ri sk factors in men. Conclusions. There are correlations between vascula r reactivity and risk factors for IHD in women and correlations betwee n vessel diameter and risk factors for MD in both men and women alread y in a healthy population 35-year-old subjects. Further studies are ne eded to determine if the vessel diameter in itself, in a healthy popul ation, is a sign of attenuated endothelial function.