Objective: To investigate the relationship between 1-h post-load plasma glucose, measured during an oral glucose tolerance test, and arterial stiffness, determined by brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity, in normotensive subjects with normal glucose tolerance.
Methods: Study subjects were non-industrial workers aged 25-55 years ( n = 8381) who underwent a regular health check-up every 5 years. We included only normotensive subjects with normal glucose tolerance based on the American Diabetes Association criteria. Subjects taking medication and having an abnormal ankle-brachial index (⩽1.0 or ⩾1.3) were excluded. The final sample comprised 4970 participants (mean age: 38.8 ± 9.4 years; women: n = 2048).
Results: 1-h post-load plasma glucose correlated with brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity in men ( β = 0.04, p = 0.01), but not women ( β = -0.03, p = 0.13) in multivariate linear regression analysis. We found a significant interaction between 1-h post-load plasma glucose and age in men ( p = 0.04); therefore, a subgroup analysis was performed in each 5-year age group. The correlation between 1-h post-load plasma glucose and brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity was significant in the 55-year-old age group ( β = 0.12, p = 0.01) and neared significant in 45-year-old ( β = 0.08, p = 0.07) and 50-year-old ( β = 0.09, p = 0.07) age groups.
Conclusion: Elevated 1-h post-load plasma glucose levels were associated with arterial stiffness in normotensive, middle-aged men with normal glucose tolerance.
Keywords: 1-h post-load plasma glucose; Arterial stiffness; atherosclerosis; brachial–ankle pulse-wave velocity; oral glucose tolerance test.