Background: The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether serum cystatin C level is associated with arterial stiffness independent of other risk factors in Chinese general population.
Hypothesis: Cystatin C is a predictable marker of arterial stiffness in Chinese general population.
Methods: Subjects are 748 persons (mean age, 38.8years) who attended a health checkup in Beijing, China. We measured brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) by using an automatic oscillometric method, and the concentration of serum cystatin C was quantified.
Results: The level of baPWV showed a significantly positive correlation with BMI, SBP, DBP, TG, TC, cystatin C (r = 0.251, p < 0.001), and a negative correlation with HDL-C. And when adjustment for age, BMI, and cigarette smoking, these correlations remain significantly.
Conclusion: Arterial stiffness increases with an increase in serum cystatin C level in Chinese general population with normal renal function.
Keywords: Arterial stiffness; brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV); cystatin C; general population.