Metabolic syndrome is not associated with reduction in aortic distensibility in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background: Aortic distensibility ( AD) is a marker of the elastic properties of the aorta. Reduction of AD occurs early in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus ( T2DM) and it is associated with subclinical generalized atherosclerosis. Metabolic syndrome ( MetS) is common in subjects with T2DM and predicts cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This study examined the potential relationship between MetS and AD in a cohort of subjects with T2DM. Methods and results: A total of 210 subjects with T2DM were studied. MetS was diagnosed using the NCEP/ATP-III criteria. AD was assessed non-invasively by ultrasonography. The prevalence of MetS was 64.8%. AD was not significantly different between subjects with and without MetS ( 1.80 +/- 0.54 vs. 1.84 +/- 0.53 10(-6) dyn(-1) cm(2), p = 0.55). Univariate linear regression analysis showed that AD was associated positively with male sex ( p = 0.02) as well as glomerular filtration rate ( p < 0.001), and negatively with age ( p = 0.04), history of hypertension ( p = 0.001), as well as duration of diabetes ( p < 0.001). After multivariate adjustment, AD was associated independently and significantly only with age ( p = 0.02), duration of diabetes p < 0.001), and history of hypertension ( p = 0.004); no significant relationship was found with MetS status, the sum of the components of the MetS or the individual components-besides hypertension-of the MetS. Conclusion: In subjects with T2DM, MetS status per se is not associated with reduction of AD. In addition, it was shown that besides ageing, duration of glycemia was a strong predictor of AD. From the components of the MetS only hypertension was associated with reduction of the elastic properties of the aorta.