Association between serum resistin and carotid intima media thickness in hypertension patients

Background: Resistin is an adipocytokine belonging to the family of cysteine rich secretory proteins. We sought to determine if a correlation between resistin levels and carotid atherosclerosis exists in hypertensive patients. Methods: This study consisted of 307 treated hypertensive patients. Subjects were grouped into tertiles according to their resistin level. Results: Carotid intima media thickness (IMT) was significantly highest in the third tertile. The first tertile had a mean carotid IMT and a mean of maximum carotid IMT of 0.63 ± 0.08 and 0.81 ± 0.10 mm, respectively. The 2nd tertile had measurements of 0.63 ± 0.08 and 0.81 ± 0.12 mm, and the 3rd tertile 0.67 ± 0.12 and 0.86 ± 0.11 for the same parameters. (p = 0.002). Resistin levels were independently associated with the carotid IMT (mean carotid IMT: R² = 0.159, p < 0.001 and mean of maximum carotid IMT: R² = 0.162, p < 0.001) after controlling for age, gender, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, smoking and DM. The tertile level of resistin was significantly associated with (odds ratio = 3.097, p = 0.004) risk of coronary artery disease after controlling for age, gender, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, smoking, DM and carotid IMT. Conclusion: Serum resistin is independently associated with increasing carotid IMT in treated hypertensive patients.