Research Papers: Gerotarget (Focus on Aging):
Handgrip strength and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in relation to platelet levels among hypertensive elderly Japanese
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Abstract
Yuji Shimizu1,2, Shimpei Sato1, Jun Koyamatsu3, Hirotomo Yamanashi3, Mako Nagayoshi1, Koichiro Kadota1, Shin-Ya Kawashiri1, Keita Inoue1, Yasuhiro Nagata4 and Takahiro Maeda1,3
1 Department of Community Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
2 Department of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Osaka Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Osaka, Japan
3 Department of Island and Community Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
4 Center for Comprehensive Community Care Education, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
Correspondence to:
Yuji Shimizu, email:
Keywords: atherosclerosis, handgrip, hypertension, platelet, sarcopenia, Gerotarget
Received: June 21, 2017 Accepted: August 16, 2017 Published: September 01, 2017
Abstract
Age-related disruption of microvascular endothelium exacerbates hypertension and sarcopenia; and atherosclerosis is a well-known biological response to vascular endothelial injury. Therefore, prevalence of atherosclerosis among hypertensive elderly subjects may partly indicate the presence of an appropriate response to endothelial injury. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 795 elderly hypertensive Japanese subjects aged 60-89 years. Since platelet level is an indicator of vascular repair activity, subjects were stratified by platelet counts. No significant association between handgrip strength and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis (carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) ≥1.1mm) was observed for subjects with lower platelet counts, while a significant positive association was observed for subjects with higher platelets. Adjusted odds and 95% confidence intervals of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis for 1 standard deviation increments in handgrip strength were 0.86 (0.61, 1.22) for subjects with lower platelets and 1.82 (1.26, 2.64) for subjects with higher platelets. A positive association between handgrip strength and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis exists in hypertensive elderly subjects with higher, but not lower, platelet counts. These results lead us to speculate that subjects with a beneficial influence on prevention of sarcopenia (maintenance of handgrip strength) may possess the capacity of active endothelial repair that causes atherosclerosis.
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