Abstract 18714: Arterial Stiffness and Subclinical Inflammation in the General Population: The Asklepios Study

Abstract

Background: Chronic subclinical inflammation is a potentially treatable process that may contribute to arterial stiffening. However, previous studies assessing this relationship have used single inflammatory markers and have not assessed potential gender differences in this relationship. Methods: We assessed the relationship between arterial stiffness and inflammation among 2,430 middle-aged adults (51.8% female) enrolled in the population-based Asklepios study in Belgium. Using confirmatory factor analysis, we built a measurement model for inflammation, a latent factor contributing to shared variability in multiple acute-phase reactants (C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, white blood cell count and fibrinogen). We used structural equation modeling to characterize the relationship between inflammation and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CF-PWV), a measure of large artery stiffness. Results: Our measurement model demonstrated adequate fit (Comparative fit index=0.996; root mean square error of approximation=0.029; standardized root mean square residual=0.012). In unadjusted models, inflammation was significantly related to arterial stiffness in both men (β=0.26; P <0.0001) and women (β=0.21; P <0.0001). After adjustment for age, current smoking, body mass index, mean arterial pressure, diabetes mellitus, triglycerides, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, inflammation was independently related to arterial stiffness in men (β=0.13; P =0.007) but not in women (β=0.017; P =0.7585). This was true for both pre- and post-menopausal women and regardless of oral contraceptive use. Conclusions: Important gender differences exist in the association between inflammation and large artery stiffness. Inflammation is independently associated with large artery stiffness in middle age in men, but not in women.