Relationship between obesity and atherosclerotic risk in elderly type 2 diabetic patients

The relationship between obesity and incidence of stroke and ischemic heart disease is known to be weaker in elderly people compared with younger people. The relationships between obesity and atherosclerotic risk factors have been reported to decrease with age in healthy subjects. In order to clarify whether obesity influences atherosclerotic risk factors in elderly diabetic patients, we investigated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and atherosclerotic risk factors in elderly (65 years or more) patients (61 men and 65 women) with type 2 diabetes mellitus. BMI significantly correlated with blood pressure, serum triglyceride, uric acid and sialic acid concentrations and negatively with duration of diabetes and serum HDL cholesterol concentration. These relationships, except that with serum uric acid concentration, were still significant after adjustment for sex and age. Diabetic subjects with a BMI of 25 or over showed significantly higher arterial pressure and serum triglyceride and sialic acid levels and lower serum HDL cholesterol level compared with diabetic subjects with a BMI of below 22. These results suggest that obesity increases the atherosclerotic risk even at higher ages in diabetic patients and that correction of obesity helps prevention of atherosclerosis in elderly diabetic patients.     

Effects of age on relationship of alcohol drinking and obesity to atherosclerotic risks

Atherosclerosis is a chronic pathological process in the arteries, in which a variety of its risk factors, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, diabetes mellitus and obesity, are involved. Atherosclerotic progress is also closely linked with aging. We investigated effects of age on the relationships of alcohol drinking and obesity to atherosclerotic risks. Elevating effects of light drinking on blood pressure were significant in middle-aged and relatively old subjects but not in young subjects. The decreasing effects of light drinking on blood LDL cholesterol were significant in relatively young and middle-aged subjects, but not in elderly subjects, while increasing effects of light drinking on blood HDL cholesterol were significant in young, middle-aged, and elderly groups. In patients with type 2 diabetes, light drinking significantly decreased aortic pulse-wave velocity, which reflects atherosclerotic progress, without significant changes in blood HDL and fibrinogen levels, and this tendency was also found in elderly diabetes patients. Body mass index (BMI) was significantly correlated with arterial pressure and serum tryglyceride, HDL cholesterol, uric acid, and sialic acid levels in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes. Thus, age may be an important factor that affects the relations of some atherosclerotic risk factors to atherosclerotic progress.     

Association between serum uric acid and cardiovascular risk factors among elderly people in Taiwan

In order to understand the distribution of serum uric acid and the relationship between serum uric acid and the cardiovascular risk factor among elderly people, a cross-sectional study was conducted in Chung-Shing-Shin-Tseun community in Taiwan in May 1998. All individuals aged 65 and over were collected. A total of 1123 persons, out of 1774 registered residents, were contacted by face-to-face interview. The response rate was 63.3%. However, only 586 respondents had blood tests and completed questionnaires. Analysis in this study was based on these 586 subjects. The mean uric acid values were 7.4 +/- 1.8 mg/dl in men and 6.3 +/- 1.6 mg/dl in women, respectively (p < 0.001). Multivariate linear regression showed that serum uric acid was significantly correlated with sex and body mass index. Simple correlation showed that serum uric acid was significantly correlated with diastolic pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride and creatinine. Age, systolic pressure and fasting glucose were not related to serum uric acid. In our conclusion, the uric acid values are high among elderly people. The serum uric acid levels are significantly associated with the cardiovascular risk factors among elderly people.     

Age-related change in relationship between body-mass index, serum sialic acid, and atherogenic risk factors

In order to clarify the significance of obesity in atherosclerotic risk at different ages, the relationship between the body-mass index, serum sialic acid concentration, and various atherosclerotic risk factors were investigated for healthy subjects in three different age groups, 35-39, 40-49 and 50-59 years old. The body-mass index correlated significantly with mean arterial blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, serum triglycerides, atherogenic index and serum uric acid in all age groups. The magnitudes of the association of body-mass index with mean arterial blood pressure, fasting blood sugar and serum triglycerides decreased with age, while those of the association with atherogenic index and serum uric acid were not different among the three age groups. Body-mass index did not show significant correlation with white blood cell count, platelet count or smoking in any of the age groups. Simple and multiple regression analyses showed that body-mass index was significantly correlated with serum sialic acid in the 35-39-year-old group, but not in the other two groups. Neither the percentage of obese subjects (body-mass index > 26.4) nor the mean values of body-mass index were different among the three groups. These results suggest that for younger people, the body-mass index is related more closely with some atherosclerotic risk factors (e.g. blood pressure, blood sugar and serum triglycerides), and obesity may be possibly more involved in the progression of atherosclerosis, compared to more elderly people.     

Analysis of selected risk factors of coronary artery disease in a healthy population aged 35-55 years

BACKGROUND: This report comprises an analysis of results of examinations performed as a part of a cardiovascular disease prevention programme funded by the National Health Fund. AIM: To determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure, blood glucose and lipid metabolism abnormalities in an ethnically homogeneous population of males and females aged 35 to 55 years with sense of full health without prior diagnosis of cardiovascular disease or diabetes. METHODS: The study was carried out in the population of a 175,000-resident city during 9 months, involving 1080 subjects (696 females and 384 males) aged 35 to 55 years (mean age - 47.2+/-5.4). The following variables were assessed: systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body weight and height, BMI, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL cholesterol levels. RESULTS: The studied male population had significantly higher blood pressure, blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol levels compared to age-matched females. The female population was found to have a more prominent relationship between increased BMI and blood pressure, blood glucose and serum cholesterol levels than males. Significant differences in favour of females regarding systolic blood pressure, blood glucose and serum cholesterol failed to be present in the obese women subgroup (no statistically significant differences were found compared to obese males). In females aged 45 to 55 years, significantly higher body weight, blood pressure as well as blood glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels were observed than in younger women (35-45 years old). CONCLUSIONS: Overweight and obesity are associated with increase of arterial blood pressure, lipid metabolism disturbances and elevation of blood glucose. The relationship between BMI and studied risk factors was influenced by age and gender. Menopause is associated with increasing body weight and unfavourable evolution of studied risk factors.     

老年人群血清谷氨酰转移酶与代谢综合征的相关性研究

目的探讨老年人群血清谷氨酰转移酶（GGT）水平与代谢综合征（MS）的关系。方法调查在华中科技大学同济医学院附属协和医院进行常规体检的1444例老年人群,检测体质量指数（BMI）、收缩压（SBP）、舒张压（DBP）、空腹血糖（FBG）、甘油三酯（TG）、总胆固醇（TC）、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（LDL-C）、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDL-C）、谷氨酰转移酶（GGT）、丙氨酸转氨酶（ALT）、尿酸（UA）等。结果与非MS组相比,MS组GGT、BMI、SBP、DBP、TG、ALT、UA均明显升高（P〈0．01）,HDL-C显著减低（P〈0．01）;随着GGT四分位间距的递增,MS发生率、MS各组分（肥胖、血压异常、血糖异常、血脂异常）的发生率均显著增加,差异具有统计学意义（P〈0．01）;多元线性回归分析提示,GGT与DBP、TG、ALT、uA、MS组分个数呈正相关（P〈0．01）,而与HDL-C呈负相关（P〈0．05）：多因素Logistic回归分析表明GGT是MS发生的危险因素之一（OR=1．008,95％CI1．0001．024,P=0．046）。结论老年人群血清GGT水平与MS关系密切,其水平的升高能够反映MS的发生风险;在排除肝脏疾病以后GGT可以作为MS发生风险的筛选指标。     

Relationships of body mass index with blood pressure and serum cholesterol concentrations at different ages

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Only limited information has been available on the effects of age on the relationship between obesity and other atherosclerotic risk factors, such as blood pressure and serum lipids. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of age on the relationships of obesity with blood pressure and serum cholesterol concentrations. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was performed on 157,902 workers in Yamagata, Japan. Blood pressure and serum total and HDL cholesterol concentrations were measured, and body mass index (BMI) and atherogenic index were calculated. The correlations of BMI with blood pressure, serum cholesterol concentrations and atherogenic index in different age groups were compared. RESULTS: BMI showed significant positive correlations with systolic and diastolic blood pressures, serum total cholesterol level and atherogenic index, and showed a significant negative correlation with serum HDL cholesterol level. The relationships of BMI with systolic and diastolic blood pressures became weaker with advancing age in both men and women after 30 and 40 years of age, respectively. The relationships of BMI with serum total cholesterol level and atherogenic index also became weaker with advancing age after 30 years of age in men and after 40 years of age in women. There was no age-dependent tendency in the relationship between BMI and HDL cholesterol, however. The above age-dependent changes were more prominent in men than in women. CONCLUSION: The relationships of obesity with blood pressure, serum total cholesterol level and atherogenic index in the elderly are much weaker than in the young.     

Elevated serum leptin concentrations in women with hyperuricemia

The serum uric acid level has been said to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease death, mainly for women, and to be linked with the metabolic Syndrome X of insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Recently, it has been suggested that the elevation of serum leptin, the ob gene product, may have a role in metabolic Syndrome X. Therefore, we studied the relationship of uric acid to leptin in 822 Japanese women in a cross-sectional manner. To estimate the effect of uric acid on the variables of metabolic Syndrome X, we calculated mean values of various components of the syndrome according to tertiles of uric acid (UA < 4.0 mg/dl, 4.0 < or = UA < 5.5, 5.5 < or = UA). Age, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), percent body fat mass (BFM), serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, atherogenic index, leptin, fasting immunoreactive insulin and homeostasis model assessment-ratio (HOMA-R: calculated insulin resistance) were significantly different across the uric acid tertiles with higher levels in the highest tertile in comparison to the first (ANOVA, p < 0.001, 0.001, 0.002, 0.001, 0.001, 0.025, 0.001, 0.001, 0.001, 0.001, 0.001, respectively), while high density lipoprotein cholesterol showed lower levels (p < 0.001). Serum leptin concentrations were also elevated in hyperuricemic women after adjusting for BMI or BFM (both p < 0.001), and were weakly correlated with serum uric acid concentrations (r = 0.22, p < 0.0001). BMI, HOMA-R, serum triglyceride, diastolic BP and age-adjusted serum leptin concentrations were calculated for each tertile of serum uric acid. Compared with the lowest tertile of uric acid level, BMI, HOMA-R, serum triglyceride, diastolic BP and age-adjusted leptin concentrations were higher in the highest tertile. In the stepwise regression analysis, serum leptin was the significant independent variable for uric acid values. These results indicate an independent relationship between leptin and uric acid, further supporting the involvement of leptin in metabolic Syndrome X.     

Prevalence of obesity and its association with cardiovascular disease risk factors in adolescent girls from a college in central Taiwan

Although obesity is associated with important hemodynamic disturbances, little data exists on population-wide cardiovascular risk factors in obese adolescent girls in Taiwan. This study measured the prevalence of overweight/obesity and related cardiovascular disease risk factors in adolescent females. This was a school-based survey of a representative sample of 291 females aged 15 and 18 years in a public college in Central Taiwan. The main measures were height, body weight, systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), uric acid, cholesterol, triglyceride (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Obese (body mass index [BMI] > or = 25.3) and overweight (22.7 < or = BMI < or = 25.2) individuals were combined and labeled as overweight (BMI > or = 22.7) to make communication of results clearer. Data gleaned from freshmens health examinations were analyzed. The prevalence of obesity (BMI > or = 25.3) was 9.28% and of overweight (BMI > or = 22.7) was 21.31%. Being overweight was associated with higher SBP, DBP, uric acid and TG, and lower levels of HDL-C, but was not associated with cholesterol. The 15-year-old group showed higher mean levels of uric acid, total cholesterol, TG and HDL-C than the 18-year-old group (p < 0.05). All told, 3.1%, 15.12% and 2.1% of the girls showed abnormally elevated levels of uric acid, cholesterol and TG, respectively. In addition, 5.84% had abnormally lower HDL-C levels, indicating that interventions should focus on reducing obesity and encouraging proper dietary habits and sufficient exercise, especially in subjects with lower HDL-C levels and higher levels of cholesterol, TG and uric acid.     

Age-dependent relation of serum sialic acid concentration to aortic pulse wave velocity in type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether age affects the significance of serum sialic acid concentration as a marker of atherosclerosis in patients with diabetes. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the relationship of serum sialic acid concentration to aortic pulse wave velocity (a-PWV) and the effects of age on this relationship in patients with type 2 diabetes. RESULTS: In the elderly (70 years or over) diabetic patients, a-PWV showed a significant positive correlation with serum sialic acid. This relationship was also significant after adjustment for age, duration of diabetes, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and fibrinogen levels. In elderly diabetic patients, a-PWV also showed a significant positive correlation with age and duration of diabetes and a significant negative correlation with serum HDL cholesterol level. On the other hand, in the younger (31-60 years) diabetic patients, there was no significant correlation between serum sialic acid level and a-PWV, while a-PWV showed significant positive correlations with age, duration of diabetes and plasma fibrinogen level. CONCLUSIONS: Serum sialic acid level reflects atherosclerosis in elderly diabetic patients but not in younger diabetic patients. This may explain recent controversial findings regarding the relationship between serum sialic acid level and incidence of coronary heart disease in diabetes.     

Distribution and correlation of uric acid with classic cardiovascular risk factors in an adult population in Campania. VIP project data

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to correlate uric acid levels with the classic cardiovascular risk factors in an adult population in Campania. METHODS: The following parameters were assessed in the study population (600 men and 600 women) aged between 25-74 years old, subdivided into 5 age groups (25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74): ECG, arterial pressure and body mass index (obtained by dividing weight in kg by height in metres squared). A blood sample was also taken to evaluate uric and other biochemical variables including: total cholesterol, HDL, L DI, glycemia, triglycerides, red and white blood cells, C3, fibrinogen, platelets and insulin serum levels. RESULTS: The results confirmed the positive correlation between uric acid and red and white blood cells in males, and between uric and the following variables in females: cholesterol, C3, LDL, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, white blood cells, BMI and fibrinogen. When the correlation was performed in the entire population, uric acid correlated with triglycerides and red and white blood cells. Multivariate analysis for the entire population showed a strong correlation between uric acid, triglycerides and white blood cells. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the data reported in the literature and highlights the correlation between uric and the classic cardiovascular risk factors. This association is more evident in females.     

老年2型糖尿病合并高尿酸血症的临床分析

目的探讨老年2型糖尿病高尿酸血症的临床特征。方法将1411例老年体检干部分为糖尿病高尿酸血症组、糖尿病正常尿酸血症组和非糖尿病对照组,测定其体重指数（BMI）、腰臀比（WHR）、血压（SBP、DBP）、血糖（FBG、PBG）、甘油三酯（TG）、胆固醇（CHO）、高密度脂蛋白（HDL-C）、低密度脂蛋白（LDL-C）、空腹血清胰岛素（FINS）、血肌酐（Cr）、血尿酸（UA）。结果与老年糖尿病正常尿酸血症组相比,老年糖尿病高尿酸血症组的BMI、WHR、DBP、TG、FINS、HOMA-IR、Cr水平明显升高,合并代谢综合征、肥胖、高甘油三酯血症、低HDL-C血症和胰岛素抵抗的患病比例明显增高,而HDL-C水平降低。Logistic回归分析显示,DBP、Cr、TG、HDL-C、FINS、HOMA-IR是老年糖尿病高尿酸血症的危险因素。结论舒张压、甘油三酯、低密度脂蛋白、胰岛素抵抗、肌酐与老年2型糖尿病高尿酸血症密切相关。     

胰岛素样生长因子-1与胰岛素敏感性的关系

目的探讨胰岛素样生长因子1(IGF1)与胰岛素敏感性(IS)的关系。方法40例非糖尿病患者和68例新诊断的2型糖尿病患者参加研究,收集这些受试者的一般资料和生化特征资料。结果IGF1浓度与年龄、体重指数(BMI)、甘油三酯(TG)水平和收缩压及舒张压成负相关。IGF1浓度与高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDLC)和胰岛素敏感性的稳态评估(HOMAIR)成正相关。在包括性别、年龄、BMI、收缩压和舒张压、HDLC和甘油三酯等胰岛素敏感性调节因子在内的逐步线性回归分析发现,IGF1浓度独立的与胰岛素敏感性相关。符合世界卫生组织(WHO)定义的代谢综合征个体与非代谢综合征个体相比,IGF1浓度明显降低(P<0.01)。结论IGF1具有作为胰岛素抵抗综合征标志物的特征。较低的IGF1水平可能是一个确定具有心血管疾病风险个体的有用的标志物。     

老年男性心力衰竭患者雄激素水平与心血管危险因素的关系

目的探讨老年男性心力衰竭患者体内雄激素水平与心血管危险因素的相关性。方法选择临床诊断为慢性心力衰竭、超声心动图检查LVEF≤45%、年龄≥60岁的男性住院患者100例(心力衰竭组),另选400例年龄≥60岁同龄健康男性为正常对照组。检测总睾酮、游离睾酮、脱氢表雄酮硫酸酯、性激素结合球蛋白水平;同时详细记录心力衰竭组患者体重指数、血压、血糖、血脂、尿酸、吸烟等心血管危险因素情况,进行多元相关分析。结果与正常对照组比较,心力衰竭组患者总睾酮、游离睾酮、脱氢表雄酮硫酸酯明显降低,性激素结合球蛋白明显升高(P0.05,P0.01)。心力衰竭患者总睾酮与舒张压、TC、TG呈负相关,游离睾酮与舒张压、TC、LDL-C、尿酸呈负相关;性激素结合球蛋白与体重指数及吸烟呈正相关。结论老年男性心力衰竭患者雄激素水平低下可能对心血管危险因素产生不利影响,从而对心血管系统产生不利影响。     

Cardiac risk factors: still important in the elderly

Shown to be associated with new coronary events in elderly men and women are cigarette smoking, systolic or diastolic hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, low serum HDL cholesterol, increased ratio of serum total cholesterol to serum HDL cholesterol, hypertriglyceridemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity, physical inactivity, increased age, prior coronary artery disease, and electrocardiographic and echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy. The greater the number of major coronary risk factors, the higher the incidence of new coronary events. Risk factor modification should therefore be considered in elderly persons.     

Leptin might be a regulator of serum uric acid concentrations in humans

Increased serum urate concentration is a frequent finding in patients with hypertension. Since hyperuricemia is associated with obesity, renal disease, hyperlipidemia, and atherosclerosis, whether or not serum urate is a cardiovascular risk factor per se has remained elusive. The subjects were 210 Turkish male and 210 female adults over 20 years of age. None had diabetes mellitus, endocrine diseases, or renal or hepatic disease, and those receiving antihypertensive drugs, systemic corticosteroids, or lipid-lowering drugs were excluded. Height, weight, blood pressure, serum glucose, lipid profiles, serum insulin, DHEA-SO4, and leptin were measured in the morning after an overnight fast. Women had significantly higher mean leptin (20.3 +/- 0.88 ng/mL vs 5.78 +/- 0.39 ng/mL, P < 0.001) and lower mean uric acid (248.03 +/- 4.76 micromol/L vs 311.6 +/- 5.35 micromol/L, P < 0.001), triglyceride (1.42 +/- 0.06 mmol/L vs 1.61 +/- 0.06 mmol/L, P < 0.001), and DHEA-SO4 (3.02 +/- 0.17 micromol/L vs 4.43 +/- 0.19 micromol/L, P < 0.001) concentrations than men, even when adjusted for BMI. On univariate correlation analysis, leptin showed the strongest association with BMI in both sexes and also correlated significantly with BMI, insulin, uric acid, glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides in males and BMI, insulin, uric acid, total cholesterol, apo B, and creatinine in females after adjustment for age and BMI. A statistical model containing creatinine, leptin, insulin, and triglycerides accounted for 34% of the variance in serum uric acid levels in men, whereas another consisting of creatinine, triglycerides, leptin, SBP, and insulin explained 42% of the variance in serum uric acid in women. The present study suggests that leptin could be one of the possible candidates for the missing link between obesity and hyperuricemia. Our study may also suggest that hyperuricemia is not only a metabolic end product but also a marker of a major pressor or pathogenic mechanism underlying the hypertension in obesity.     

老年高血压病患者颈动脉内膜中层厚度增加的危险因素分析

目的 探讨老年高血压病患者颈动脉内膜中层厚度（IMTc）增加的危险因素。方法88例老年高血压病患者分2组，颈动脉内膜中层厚度（IMTc）≥0．9mm为增厚组（45例），〈0．9mm为单纯组（43例），另设健康老年人对照组（30例）。3组均测身高、体重、收缩压（SBP）、总胆固醇（TC）、甘油三酯（TG）、低密度脂蛋白（LDL）、高密度脂蛋白（HDL）、尿酸（UA）、空腹血糖（FBG）、空腹胰岛素（Fins），计算体重指数（BMI）、胰岛素抵抗指数（IR）。结果（1）SBP、FBG、INS、IR、TC、TG、LDL、HDL、UA、IMTc三组间差异有统计学意义。（2）直线相关分析示高血压患者IMTc与BMI、SBP、FBG、INS、IR、TC、TG、LDL、UA水平呈正相关，与HDL呈负相关。（3）多元逐步回归分析示IMTc与UA、INS、BMI、IR、TC、TG、LDL、HDL密切相关。结论高尿酸血症、胰岛素抵抗、肥胖、血脂代谢异常是老年高血压病患者颈动脉内膜中层厚度增加的危险因素。     

Risk factors for coronary heart disease in obese non-diabetic subjects.

OBJECTIVE: To examine relationships between body mass index (BMI) and coronary risk factors in obese subjects presenting to a dedicated obesity clinic. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional population survey from a single centre. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and eighty-six consecutive non-diabetic obese subjects (301 women, 85 men) attending an obesity clinic for the first time (mean BMI 43.3 kg/m(2); range 30.6-71.5), aged 17-69 y (mean 40.1). MEASUREMENTS: Height, weight, resting blood pressure, fasting plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose and uric acid concentrations. RESULTS: All variables measured showed an increase with higher BMI (triglycerides, P=0.04; glucose, P=0.007; urate, P<0.001; systolic BP, P<0.001; diastolic BP, P<0.001) as measured by one-way ANOVA, except cholesterol concentration which showed no relationship with BMI. In comparison with the group of subjects with BMI 30-35 kg/m(2) mean values for all variables were higher in the more obese subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Non-diabetic subjects with BMI>35 kg/m(2) carry a burden of common coronary risk factors which appears to increase with greater obesity. The risk factor pattern observed echoes that described in insulin resistance syndromes. Plasma cholesterol concentration appears not to be related to BMI.     

Effect of combination therapy of benidipine hydrochloride and candesartan cilexetil on serum lipid metabolism and blood pressure in elderly hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

The effects of combination therapy of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and a calcium antagonist, benidipine hydrochloride, on glucose and lipid metabolism and pulse pressure were studied in elderly hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Twenty-five hypertensive diabetic patients aged 65 years or older, who had been receiving candesartan cilexetil, were administered benidipine hydrochloride (4 mg/day) and followed for 4 months. After 4 months, systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly from 154/91 mmHg to 139/78 mmHg (p<0.01 versus before benidipine hydrochloride administration). Body mass index (BMI) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were apparently reduced but the changes were not statistically significant. The serum lipid profile showed no significant changes in serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Serum lipoprotein lipase mass levels (preheparin LPL mass) increased significantly from 51 to 59 ng/dl (p<0.01 versus before benidipine hydrochloride administration), and the LDL/HDL motility ratio calculated from PAG disc electrophoresis decreased significantly (p<0.05 versus before benidipine hydrochloride administration). When patients were divided into a systolic hypertension group (systolic blood pressure > or =140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure <90 mmHg) and non-systolic hypertension group (others), preheparin LPL mass was significantly lower in the systolic hypertension group, and the decrease in pulse pressure and increase in preheparin LPL mass were significantly greater in the systolic hypertension group. Stepwise regression analysis showed that low preheparin LPL mass at baseline was associated with a decrease in pulse pressure. Add-on benidipine hydrochloride therapy in elderly hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus significantly decreases the LDL/HDL motility ratio and pulse pressure, and significantly increases preheparin LPL mass, in addition to improving blood pressure control. These findings suggest that combination therapy with benidipine hydrochloride and candesartan cilexetil may contribute to the suppression of arteriosclerosis and may be useful for elderly hypertensive patients with diabetes mellitus.     

Effects of age on the relationship between drinking and atherosclerotic risk factors

BACKGROUND: Drinking modulates the progress of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases by affecting atherosclerotic risk factors. However, age-dependent effects of drinking on atherosclerotic risk factors have not been clarified in detail. OBJECTIVE: In this cross-sectional study, we investigated whether the relationship between drinking and atherosclerotic risk factors is influenced by age in male workers (12,386 men aged from 20 to 69 years) in Yamagata, a district of Japan. METHODS: The subjects were divided into five age groups, and each group was further divided into three subgroups according to ethanol consumption. The mean levels of each atherosclerotic risk factor were compared among the groups. RESULTS: Neither body mass index nor fasting blood glucose levels were significantly affected by drinking at any age. In the heavy drinkers (ethanol consumption of 30 g per day or more) in all age groups, blood pressure, serum triglyceride and HDL cholesterol levels were significantly higher and serum LDL cholesterol level and the atherogenic index were significantly lower than in the nondrinkers. In the light drinkers (ethanol consumption of less than 30 g per day) in all age groups, serum HDL cholesterol level and the atherogenic index were also higher and lower, respectively, than in the nondrinkers. However, light drinking significantly increased blood pressure only in the middle aged and relatively elderly groups (40-49, 50-59, 60-69 years of age) and significantly decreased the serum LDL cholesterol level only in relatively young and middle aged groups (30-39, 40-49, 50-59 years of age). Thus, the effects of light drinking on blood pressure and serum LDL cholesterol are dependent on age. The serum triglyceride level was not significantly affected by light drinking in any age group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that light drinking increases blood pressure in the middle-aged and the elderly but not in the young, while its beneficial effects on serum HDL cholesterol and atherogenic index are not changed with age.