Key result
Plasma AGEs, but not skin autofluorescence, are linked to arterial stiffness.
Why the study?
The study aimed to compare skin and plasma measurements of advanced glycation end products and their associations with arterial stiffness in outpatients with suspected or diagnosed hypertension.
Cross-Sectional (n=218)
Effect estimate: β 0.44 m/s for each 10-fold increase
p-value: p=0.04
Plasma AGE concentration, but not skin autofluorescence, is significantly associated with arterial stiffness in outpatients with suspected or diagnosed hypertension.
Plasma AGEs, but not skin autofluorescence, associated with arterial stiffness; leaves open any role in clinical risk stratification.
Background: We compared skin and plasma measurements of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), with particular focus on their levels in the presence of hypertension or diabetes and prediabetes and their associations with arterial stiffness in outpatients with suspected or diagnosed hypertension. Methods: Skin AGE accumulation was measured as autofluorescence on the left forearm using the skin autofluorescence Reader and expressed in arbitrary units in the range from 0 to 25. Plasma AGE concentration was measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method and logarithmically transformed for statistical analysis. Arterial stiffness was assessed by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) using the SphygmoCor system (Sydney, Australia). Results: The 218 participants (96 [44.0%] men, mean age 51.9 years) had a mean skin autofluorescence of 1.89 arbitrary units, plasma AGE concentration of 4.47 μg/ml, and cfPWV of 8.0 m/s. Skin autofluorescence was significantly correlated with plasma AGEs in diabetic or prediabetic patients (n = 31, r = 0.37, p = 0.04) but not in subjects with normoglycemia (n = 187, r = -0.05, p = 0.48). Nonetheless, both measurements were significantly (p ≤ 0.001) higher in men (2.00 arbitrary units and 6.73 μg/ml, respectively) than women (1.81 arbitrary units and 3.60 μg/ml, respectively) and in diabetic or prediabetic (2.03 arbitrary units and 6.61 μg/ml, respectively) than normoglycemia subjects (1.87 arbitrary units and 4.17 μg/ml, respectively), but similar in hypertensive (n = 105) and normotensive subjects (n = 113, p ≥ 0.35). In adjusted multiple regression analyses, plasma AGE concentration, but not skin autofluorescence (p ≥ 0.37), was significantly associated with cfPWV in all subjects (β 0.44 m/s for each 10-fold increase; p = 0.04) and in subgroups of men and diabetes and prediabetes (β 0.12-0.55 m/s for each 10-fold increase; p ≤ 0.02). Conclusions: Although skin and plasma AGEs were similarly associated with gender and diabetes or prediabetes, they might measure something different and have different clinical relevance, such as for arterial stiffness.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Liu et al. (2016) conducted a cross-sectional in Suspected or diagnosed hypertension (n=218). Plasma and skin advanced glycation end products (AGEs) was evaluated on Arterial stiffness assessed by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) (β 0.44 m/s for each 10-fold increase, p=0.04). Plasma AGE concentration, but not skin autofluorescence, was significantly associated with arterial stiffness (β 0.44 m/s for each 10-fold increase; p=0.04).
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: