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Body shape index associated with arterial stiffness in type 2 diabetes
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Adults with type 2 diabetes and a high body shape index are more likely to have increased arterial stiffness, according to recent findings.
In a cross-sectional study, Ryotaro Bouchi, MD, PhD, of the Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, analyzed data from 607 Japanese adults with type 2 diabetes admitted to the hospital for evaluation of diabetic complications (mean age, 64 years; 40% women). Researchers measured visceral fat area, subcutaneous fat area and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) to assess arterial stiffness, along with height, weight and waist circumference to calculate a body shape index (ABSI).
Researchers found that ABSI correlated with waist circumference (r = 0.391; P < .001); visceral fat area (r = 0.138; P = .001) and subcutaneous fat area (r = 0.161; P < .001), but was negatively correlated with weight (r = –0.155; P < .001). After adjusting for age and sex using z scores, the correlation between z score for ABSI and visceral fat area was statistically significant (r = 0.17; P < .001); z score for ABSI was not associated with z score for BMI.
Researchers found a significant and positive association between ABSI and increased risk for baPWV that persisted after adjusting for age, sex, duration of diabetes, diabetic complications, visceral fat area and BMI.
“These findings suggest that among indirect measures of abdominal adiposity, ABSI has a superiority due to its being independent of BMI, compared with other measures such as [waist circumference],” the researchers wrote. “Surprisingly, the statistical significance of ABSI with baPWV was not attenuated even after adjusting for [visceral fat area], suggesting that the association between ABSI and arterial stiffness might be, at least in part, independent of visceral adiposity.”
In analysis, high ABSI was strongly associated with aging, long diabetes duration and low insulin secretion, which researchers attributed to the association between ABSI and arterial stiffness. – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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