Impact of Fasting Blood Glucose Levels on Blood Pressure Parameters among Older Adults with Prediabetes.

Prediabetes mellitus (pre-DM) is defined as blood glucose levels higher than normal but lower than the threshold for diabetes mellitus (DM) diagnosis. Four-limb blood pressure (BP) differences can help identify a significant risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The current study aimed to determine the importance of BP and the ankle-brachial index (ABI) between two patient groups and the association between fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels and four-limb BP, ABI, interarm BP difference (IAD), and interleg BP difference (ILD). Moreover, the effect of cardiovascular risk factors on the development of pre-DM among older adults was evaluated. The participants were divided into the normal fasting glucose (NFG) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) groups. Data on physical characteristics, lipid profiles, four-limb BP, ABI, IAD, ILD, and cardiovascular risk factors were assessed. The IFG group had a significantly higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) and pulse pressure than the NFG group (p < 0.05). SBP was significantly positively correlated with FBG levels (p < 0.05). The IFG group had a lower ABI than the NFG group (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in terms of IAD and ILD between the two groups. Furthermore, hypertension (HT), metabolic syndrome (MetS), and dyslipidemia were significantly correlated with a high prevalence of prediabetes (p < 0.05). Individuals with prediabetes had a higher BP than those with normoglycemia. Prediabetes was correlated with HT, MetS, and dyslipidemia.

Daily Step Count and its Association with Arterial Stiffness Parameters in Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Daily step count is a simple parameter for assessing physical activity. However, the potential advantages of setting daily step goals below the traditional 10,000-step threshold remain unclear. The cross-sectional study aimed to determine the relationship between daily step counts and arterial stiffness outcomes in older individuals. METHODS: Forty-eight older adults recorded their daily step counts over a 7-day period using a pedometer. The participants were classified into two groups based on their daily step count: Group 1 (n = 28) consisted of individuals taking fewer than 5000 steps per day, while Group 2 (n = 20) included those who recorded 5,000 to 9,999 steps per day. To evaluate arterial stiffness parameters, we measured pulse wave velocity (PWV), cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), and ankle-brachial index (ABI). Hemodynamic and biochemical parameters were also determined. RESULTS: Participants who accumulated fewer daily steps exhibited higher PWV compared to each group. An inverse association was observed between average steps per day and PWV. However, no significant differences were found between daily step counts and CAVI or ABI. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: As individuals increase their daily step count, they may experience a reduction in arterial stiffness. Consequently, the assessment of daily steps has benefits for enhancing vascular health and overall well-being among older individuals.

Association of arterial stiffness with single nucleotide polymorphism rs1333049 and metabolic risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Increased arterial stiffness is a cardiovascular outcome of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The chromosome 9p21 locus has been identified as a major locus for risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs1333049 on chromosome 9p21.3 has been strongly associated with CAD and myocardial infarction. Increased arterial stiffness could be the link between the 9p21 polymorphism and increased cardiovascular risk. Since the impact of a genetic polymorphism on arterial stiffness especially in Asian populations has not been well defined, we aimed to investigate the association of arterial stiffness with rs 1333049 variant on chromosome 9p21.3 in Thai subjects with and without MetS risk factors. METHODS: A total of 208 Thai subjects, aged 35-75 years, 135 with and 73 without MetS, according to IDF and NCEP-ATPIII criteria, were included in this study. Aortic-femoral pulse wave velocity (afPWV), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and aortic ankle pulse wave velocity (aaPWV) were measured and used as markers of arterial stiffness. The chromosome 9p21.3 locus, represented by the rs 1333049 variant and blood biochemistry were evaluated. RESULTS: Arterial stiffness was elevated in subjects with MetS when compared with nonMetS subjects. PWV, especially afPWV increased progressively with increasing number of MetS risk factors (r = 0.322, P <0.001). We also found that the frequency distribution of the rs1333049 genotypes is significantly associated with the afPWV (P <0.05). In multivariate analyses, there was an association between homozygous C allele and afPWV (Odds ratio (OR), 8.16; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.91 to 34.90; P = 0.005), while the GC genotype was not related to afPWV (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 0.84 to 3.77; P = 0.129) when compared with the GG genotype. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate for the first time that arterial stiffness is associated with genetic polymorphism in 9p21 and metabolic risk factors in a Thai population.

Association of COL5A1 gene polymorphisms and risk of tendon-ligament injuries among Caucasians: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Tendons and ligaments are common sites of musculoskeletal injuries especially during physical activity. The multifactorial etiology of tendon-ligament injury (TLI) includes both genetic and environmental factors. The genetic component could render influence on TLI risk to be either elevation or reduction. OBJECTIVE: Inconsistency of reported associations of the collagen type V alpha 1 chain (COL5A1) polymorphisms, mainly rs12722 (BstUI) and rs13946 (DpnII), with TLI warrant a meta-analysis to determine more precise pooled associations. METHODS: Multi-database literature search yielded eight articles (11 studies) for inclusion. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals were used to estimate associations. Heterogeneity of outcomes warranted examining their sources with outlier treatment. RESULTS: All rs12722 effects indicated reduced risk (OR < 1.0). The significant outcomes (ORs 0.59-0.77, p = 0.0009-0.04) in the pre-outlier analysis were non-heterogeneous (p > 0.10). The non-significant and heterogeneous (ORs 0.63-0.98, p = 0.13-0.95; up to I2 = 86%) pre-outlier rs12722 and rs13946 results became significant (ORs 0.32-0.78, p = 10-5-0.01) and heterogeneity eliminated (I2 = 0%) with outlier treatment. Significant associations (ORs 0.26-0.65, p = 0.002-0.03) were also observed in other COL5A1 polymorphisms (rs71746744 and rs16399). Sensitivity analysis deemed all significant outcomes to be robust. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, COL5A1 polymorphisms reduce the risk of TLI among Caucasians. These findings are based on the evidence of significance, homogeneity, consistency, and robustness. Additional studies are warranted to draw more comprehensive conclusions.