Relationship between body composition and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women (391.8)

Abstract

Menopause is associated with age‐related increases in blood pressure (BP) and arterial stiffness and has also been linked to increased fat mass (FM), decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) and decreased lean body mass (LBM). Thus, the goal of this cross‐sectional study was to investigate the relationship between body composition and arterial stiffness. In 81 pre‐ and stage 1‐hypertensive postmenopausal women (age: 59 ± 5 years; BMI: 31 ± 6; SBP: 140 ± 15 mmHg) BMD, BMC, LBM, and FM were assessed by dual X‐ray absorptiometry and arterial stiffness was evaluated by brachial pulse wave velocity (baPWV) using applanation tonometry. No significant correlations were found between BMD, LBM, or FM and baPWV yet BMC tended to negatively correlate with baPWV (p = 0.07, r = ‐ 0.202) which remained true after adjusting for systolic BP and treatment for hypertension or with statins. However, a significant correlation between BMC and baPWV was observed after adjusting for mean arterial pressure (MAP; p = 0.04, r = ‐ 0.227). Multiple regression analysis showed that baPWV was significantly and independently associated with age, MAP, and weight (p = 0.000, R² = 0.270) which was unchanged after exclusion of statins users (p = 0.000, R² = 0.251). Nonetheless, a subsequent multiple regression analysis in which women on anti‐hypertensive medications were excluded revealed that MAP, age, and BMD are independent predictors of baPWV (p = 0.001, R² = 0.433). Our findings suggest that lower BMD and BMC may be related to increased arterial stiffness and a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.