Associations between arterial stiffness and platelet activation in normotensive overweight and obese young adults

Abstract

Obese individuals have elevated platelet activation and arterial stiffness, but the strength and temporality of the relationship between these factors remain unclear. We aimed to determine the effect of increased arterial stiffness on circulating platelet activity in overweight/obese young adults. This analysis included 92 participants (mean age 40 years, 60 women) in the Slow Adverse Vascular Effects of excess weight (SAVE) trial, a clinical trial examining the effects of a lifestyle intervention with or without sodium restriction on vascular health in normotensive overweight/obese young adults. Carotid-femoral (cf), brachial-ankle (ba) and femoral-ankle (fa) pulse wave velocity (PWV) served as measures of arterial stiffness and were measured at baseline and 6, 12 and 24 months follow-up. Platelet activity was measured as plasma β-thromboglobulin (β-TG) at 24 months. Higher plasma β-TG was correlated with greater exposure to elevated cfPWV (p = 0.02) and baPWV (p = 0.04) during the preceding two years. After adjustment for serum leptin, greater exposure to elevated baPWV remained significant (p = 0.03) and exposure to elevated cfPWV marginally significant (p = 0.054) in predicting greater plasma β-TG. Greater arterial stiffness, particularly central arterial stiffness, predicts greater platelet activation in overweight/obese individuals. This relationship might partly explain the association between increased arterial stiffness and incident atherothrombotic events.

• Arterial stiffness
• obesity
• platelet activation
• pulse wave velocity
• weight loss

Acknowledgements

We thank Beth Hauth (Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh) for expert assistance with the laboratory analyses. We greatly appreciate the efforts of the SAVE trial volunteers and the study and clinic coordinators (Laura Kinzel and Eileen Cole, Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh).