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Association of insulin resistance, from mid-life to late-life, with aortic stiffness in late-life: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Cardiovascular diabetology Poon, A. K., Meyer, M. L., Tanaka, H., Selvin, E., Pankow, J., Zeng, D., Loehr, L., Knowles, J. W., Rosamond, W., Heiss, G. 2020; 19 (1): 11

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance may contribute to aortic stiffening that leads to end-organ damage. We examined the cross-sectional association and prospective association of insulin resistance and aortic stiffness in older adults without diabetes.METHODS: We analyzed 2571 men and women at Visit 5 (in 2011-2013), and 2350 men and women at repeat examinations from baseline at Visit 1 (in 1987-1989) to Visit 5 (in 2011-2013). Linear regression was used to estimate the difference in aortic stiffness per standard unit of HOMA-IR, TG/HDL-C, and TyG at Visit 5. Linear mixed effects were used to assess if high, as opposed to non-high, aortic stiffness (>75th percentile) was preceded by a faster annual rate of change in log-HOMA-IR, log-TG/HDL-C, and log-TyG from Visit 1 to Visit 5.RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 75years, 37% (n=957) were men, and 17% (n=433) were African American. At Visit 5, higher HOMA-IR, higher TG/HDL-C, and higher TyG were associated with higher aortic stiffness (16cm/s per SD (95% CI 6, 27), 29cm/s per SD (95% CI 18, 40), and 32cm/s per SD (95% CI 22, 42), respectively). From Visit 1 to Visit 5, high aortic stiffness, compared to non-high aortic stiffness, was not preceded by a faster annual rate of change in log-HOMA-IR from baseline to 9years (0.030 (95% CI 0.024, 0.035) vs. 0.025 (95% CI 0.021, 0.028); p=0.15) or 9years onward (0.011 (95% CI 0.007, 0.015) vs. 0.011 (95% CI 0.009, 0.013); p=0.31); in log-TG/HDL-C from baseline to 9years (0.019 (95% CI 0.015, 0.024) vs. 0.024 (95% CI 0.022, 0.026); p=0.06) or 9years onward (-0.007 (95% CI -0.010, -0.005) vs. -0.009 (95% CI -0.010, -0.007); p=0.08); or in log-TyG from baseline to 9years (0.002 (95% CI 0.002, 0.003) vs. 0.003 (95% CI 0.003, 0.003); p=0.03) or 9years onward (0 (95% CI 0, 0) vs. 0 (95% CI 0, 0); p=0.08).CONCLUSIONS: Among older adults without diabetes, insulin resistance was associated with aortic stiffness, but the putative role of insulin resistance in aortic stiffness over the life course requires further study.

View details for DOI 10.1186/s12933-020-0986-y

View details for PubMedID 31992297