| Abstract: | Background: Obesity has been suggested to have no effect on the rates of mortality from cerebro‐ and cardiovascular diseases in the elderly. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether obesity influences atherosclerotic risk factors in elderly diabetic patients. Methods: The relationships between body mass index (BMI) and representative atherosclerotic risk factors were investigated using data from patients with type 2 diabetes who were aged from 65 to 91 years (mean ± standard deviation, 72.3 ± 5.2 years). Results: BMI significantly correlated with systolic and diastolic arterial pressures and serum triglyceride, uric acid and sialic acid levels. BMI also showed significant negative correlations with duration of diabetes and serum HDL cholesterol levels. Multiple regression analysis using BMI as a target variable and age, sex, duration of diabetes, mean arterial pressure, serum uric acid and triglyceride as explanatory variables showed that BMI significantly correlated with arterial pressure and serum triglyceride level (R = 0.459). After adjustment for history of drug therapy for each disease (hypertension, dyslipidemia or hyperuricemia), BMI also significantly correlated with arterial pressure, serum triglyceride, HDL cholesterol and uric acid levels. In the subjects with BMI of 25 or over, the mean levels of systolic and diastolic arterial pressures, serum triglyceride and sialic acid were higher and the mean level of serum HDL cholesterol was lower, after adjustment for age and sex, than those in the subjects with BMI below 22. Conclusion: These results suggest that obesity is related to arterial pressure, blood lipid and uric acid levels and increases the risk of development of atheroclerosis in elderly diabetic patients. |
