Arterial stiffness is strongly associated with insulin resistance in Chinese - A population-based study (Taichung Community Health Study,TCHS)

Aim: few studies have investigated the association between insulin resistance and arterial stiffness in chinese. we aimed to investigate this relationship in a population-based study of middle-aged chinese. methods: a total of 2,188 subjects aged 40 years and older were recruited in 2004 in taiwan. the association between arterial stiffness (measured by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (bapwv)) and insulin resistance (represented by homeostasis model assessment (homa-ir) and fasting glucose levels) was studied by multiple logistic and linear regression analyses. results: the respective prevalence of diabetes and impaired fasting glucose (ifg) was 13.9% and 30.6% in males and 10.4% and 20.8% in females. using multiple linear regression analyses,we found bapwv to be strongly associated with age,gender,body mass index (bmi),waist circumference (wc),systolic blood pressure (bp),diastolic bp,fasting glucose,and triglycerides. compared to the lowest homa-ir tertile i and adjusting for age,bmi,wc,gender,triglycerides,systolic bp,diastolic bp,smoking,alcohol drinking,betel nut chewing,and physical activity,the odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of arterial stiffness for the higher homa-ir tertiles ii and ii were 1.15 (0.77-1.71) and 1.60 (1.05-2.46),respectively. using a general linear model with adjustment for age,systolic bp,diastolic bp,bmi,wc,and triglycerides,bapwv was significantly lower in the diabetic group by 90.3 cm/sec in males and 100.5 cm/sec in females compared to the ifg group. when comparing the ifg group to the normal glucose group,bapwv was 28.5 cm/sec lower in males and 14.4 cm/sec lower in females. conclusions: arterial stiffness is independently associated with insulin resistance in chinese middleaged adults. subjects with diabetes or ifg have higher bapwv than normoglycemic subjects.