Association between cardiorespiratory fitness and arterial stiffness in men with the metabolic syndrome

Aims: We tested the hypothesis that high cardiorespiratory fitness (fitness) is associated with lower levels of arterial stiffness in 1035 (age 52 ± 6 years) men with and without the metabolic syndrome. Methods: Arterial stiffness was derived from brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). Fitness was directly measured by peak oxygen uptake during a standard treadmill test. Results: Men with the metabolic syndrome (n= 168) had significantly higher baPWV than men without the metabolic syndrome (1424 ± 175. cm/s vs. 1333 ± 150. cm/s, p< 0.05). When separated according to quartiles of fitness, men with and without the metabolic syndrome in the highest quartile of fitness had significantly lower baPWV compared to men in the lowest quartile of fitness (p< 0.05). Fitness was inversely correlated with baPWV in men with (p= -0.29, p< 0.05) and without the metabolic syndrome (p= -0.22, p< 0.05). There was no differences in baPWV levels between fit men with the metabolic syndrome and unfit men without the metabolic syndrome (fit/MetS; 1366 ± 140 vs. unfit/no MetS; 1401 ± 194. cm/s, p= 0.81). Conclusions: These results demonstrate that high fitness is inversely associated with arterial stiffness in men with and without the metabolic syndrome. Increased arterial stiffness in the metabolic syndrome is attenuated by high fitness.