Relationship between markers of inflammation and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity in Japanese men

The objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between markers of inflammation, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), an indicator of arterial stiffness, in Japanese men. We studied 269 male subjects (mean age, 53 years) who entered our health check-up program. Subjects who were receiving any medication were excluded from the study. baPWV was measured using a volume-plethysmographic apparatus (Form /ABI; Colin, Co. Ltd., Komaki, Aichi, Japan). In addition to routine laboratory tests including ESR, serum levels of hsCRP were determined by a highly sensitive ELISA technique. baPWV was significantly correlated with age (r = 0.41, P < 0.0001), height (r = -0.21, P = 0.0006), body weight (r = -0.17, P = 0.007), mean blood pressure (r = 0.66, P < 0.0001), pulse pressure (r = 0.56, P < 0.0001), heart rate (r = 0.25, P < 0.0001), In (ESR) (r = 0.20, P = 0.001), fasting blood glucose (r = 0.23, P = 0.0001), and In (serum hsCRP) (r = 0.23, P = 0.0002). baPWV in the highest tertile of ESR was significantly higher than that in the lowest tertile of ESR (P = 0.005). baPWV in the highest tertile of serum hsCRP was significantly higher than those in the lowest tertile (P = 0.002) and the middle tertile of serum hsCRP (P = 0.02). In multiple regression analysis, baPWV significantly correlated with In (serum hsCRP) independently of other clinical variables that showed a significant correlation with baPWV. baPWV is significantly associated with serum levels of hsCRP in Japanese men, suggesting that inflammation is involved in arterial stiffening.