High C reactive protein associated with increased pulse wave velocity among urban men with metabolic syndrome in Malaysia

To determine the association between carotid femoral pulse wave velocity [PWV[CF]]; augmentation index [AI]; and high-sensitivity C reactive protein [hs-CRP] with metabolic syndrome [MetS], and to determine the influence of ethnicity on PWV[CF] and AI, and the association between high hs-CRP and increased PWV, and AI in MetS. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from September 2009 to September 2011. Three hundred and eighty men [Chinese and Malays] were recruited from the study. The PWV[CF] and AI were measured by Vicorder [SMT Medical, Wuerzburg, Germany]. The hs-CRP level was also determined. We defined MetS using the International Diabetes Federation [IDF] and harmonized criteria. Malays had higher AI compared to the Malaysian Chinese. Patients with MetS had higher PWV[CF] [IDF criteria: 8.5 [8.3-8.7] versus 8.2 [8.0-8.4] m/s, p=0.03; harmonized criteria: 8.5 [8.4-8.7] versus 8.2 [8.0-8.4] m/s, p=0.007] and hs-CRP [IDF criteria: 0.9 +/- 2.0 versus 0.4 +/- 1.1 mg/L, p=0.0007; harmonized criteria: 0.8 +/- 1.9 versus 0.4 +/- 1.1 mg/L, p=0.002] compared to non-MetS. In subjects with MetS, those with high hs-CRP [>3mg/L] had higher PWV[CF]. Augmentation index values were significantly higher in Malays compared with Malaysian Chinese. Metabolic syndrome was associated with increased PWV[CF] and hs-CRP. Patients with MetS and high hs-CRP were associated with higher PWV[CF]. The measurement of hs-CRP reflects the degree of subclinical vascular damage in MetS