The association between arterial stiffness and colorectal adenomatous polyp in women

Background: Colorectal adenomatous polyp is a precancerous lesion, and some studies have documented its link with cardiovascular risk factors. This study aimed to investigate the association between arterial stiffness and colorectal adenomatous polyp. Methods: Among 388 Korean women, we examined the association between brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) as a measurement of arterial stiffness and the presence of colorectal adenomatous polyp as determined by colonoscopy. baPWV values were categorized separately as follows: ≤1199cm/s, 1200-1399cm/s, 1400-1599cm/s and ≥1600cm/s. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for colorectal adenomatous polyp were calculated across each group of PWVs. Results: The prevalence of colorectal adenomatous polyp was 9.5%. After adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), cigarette smoking, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and triglycerides, the ORs (95% CIs) for colorectal adenomatous polyp according to each of the four groups of baPWV were 1.00, 2.89 (0.52-15.98), 3.27 (0.48-22.24), and 11.17 (1.17-106.99). Conclusions: A higher level of baPWV was found to be independently associated with the presence of colorectal adenomatous polyp, regardless of classic cardiovascular risk factors and other components of metabolic syndrome in women.