Angiopoietin-2 level as a tool for cardiovascular risk stratification in hypertensive type 2 diabetic subjects

ABSTRACT

Objectives: This observational cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) levels and cardiovascular (CVD) risk factors in drug controlled hypertensive diabetic subjects without cardiovascular complications.

Methods: All subjects were evaluated for fasting blood glucose (FBG), HbA1c, liver enzymes, lipid profile and serum Ang-2.

Results: Mean serum Ang-2 level was significantly higher in hypertensive diabetic subjects. In bivariate analysis in diabetic subjects with cardiovascular risk factors, Ang-2 positively correlated with waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), FBG, HbA1c and triglycerides. In multivariate linear regression analysis, this association remained significant with FBG and triglycerides. Ang-2 levels were independently associated with CVD risk factors in drug controlled Type 2 diabetes (T2D) subjects.

Conclusions: Further detailed studies in larger population with more attention is needed to consider Ang-2 level as a tool for CVD risk stratification in hypertensive diabetic subjects.

KEYWORDS:

• Angiopoietin 2
• angiogenesis
• cardiovascular diseases
• type 2 diabetes
• hypertension
• microvascular complications

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the members of the University Diabetes Center for patients' recruitment and researchers of the Strategic Center for Diabetes Research for performing the routine biochemistry, Ang-2 assay and data analysis for this project.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. PGM peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Informed consent statement

All participants gave written informed consent, and study protocols were approved by the Institutional Review Board at College of Medicine, King Saud University.

Supplemental material

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Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by Strategic Center for Diabetes Research, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh.