Discussion
CKD, coronary artery calcification, CHD, arterial stiffness, atherosclerosis, diabetes
CORONARY ARTERY CALCIFICATION, CVD, ARTERIAL STIFFNESS, PLAQUE, ATHEROSCLEROSIS, HYPERTENSION, DIABETES
After confirming that in a general population of middle-aged and older individuals, a higher level of skin AGEs measured as SAF was associated with prevalent MI independent of other cardiovascular risk factors, we investigated which endophenotypes of CVD might underlie this association. We found that SAF was associated with markers of subclinical atherosclerosis, including carotid plaque burden, arterial wall thickening measured by carotid IMT, and coronary artery calcification. It was also associated with arterial stiffness measured by PWV but was not associated with hypertension. The associations were independent of established cardiovascular risk factors and independent of MI history, and seemed to be more pronounced in men and in individuals who had diabetes or CKD.
The associations with endophenotypes suggest that AGEs may be related to subclinical atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness, even in people without an MI history. Our findings extend the associations from small-scale studies of mainly high-risk individuals to the general population of adequate size [Potential mechanisms underlying these associations are complex and intertwined. Carotid plaque measured by ultrasonic imaging is a surrogate outcome for CHD and indicates overall atherosclerosis burden, including the coronary artery [