Effects of Acute Induced Inflammation on Arterial Stiffness and Compliance in Overweight Adults
Authors: Bunsawat Kanokwan , Lane‐Cordova Abbi Danielle , Fernhall Bo , Baynard Tracy 
Published: November 2023

Changes in the elastic properties of the large arterial wall have been associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Excess body weight can contribute to changes in the elastic properties and may manifest initially as blood pressure (BP) elevations. Acute induced inflammation has also been shown to transiently reduce the elastic properties of large arteries. It remains unclear whether acute induced inflammation has an additive effect of dampening vascular compliance in overweight (OW) adults. Our objective was to investigate the effect of acute induced inflammation (influenza vaccine) on arterial compliance in young normal weight (NW) vs. OW adults at baseline and 24‐hr and 48‐hr post‐vaccination. Subjects were 19 NW (26±1 yrs; 21.4±0.4 kg/m2) and 16 OW (25±1 yrs; 26.7±0.4 kg/m2). Carotid BP and central pulse wave velocity (cPWV) were measured in the supine position using applanation tonometry. Carotid intima‐media thickness (cIMT), arterial compliance (AC) and elastic modulus (EP) measurements were obtained from the common carotid artery using ultrasonography. Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and C‐reactive protein (CRP) were measured using ELISA assays. No group difference was found for cIMT (0.38±0.01 vs. 0.42±0.02 mm in NW and OW, respectively). Carotid BP was higher in OW than in NW at all time points (P<0.05), without any acute inflammation effect. Acute inflammation increased heart rate, IL‐6, and CRP similarly in both groups (P<0.05). An interaction in AC approached significance (P=0.055), such that AC increased in NW and decreased in OW at 24‐hr before returning to baseline value at 48‐hr. Our results demonstrated that despite elevations in carotid BP with excess body weight, no additive effect is seen with acute inflammation in OW, suggesting preserved vascular responsiveness in this young cohort. However, a larger sample size would help definitively determine the effects.

Variables

Baseline
24‐hr post
48‐hr post
Time
Interaction
Group

Heart Rate (bpm)
NW
57±2
59±2
56±2
0.047
0.881
0.632

OW
59±2
60±2
57±2

Carotid SBP (mmHg)
NW
107±4*
110±3
108±3
0.666
0.698
<0.001

OW
126±4
126±3
125±3

Carotid DBP (mmHg)
NW
61±2*
59±2
60±2
0.116
0.981
0.020

OW
67±2
64±2
67±2

Carotid MAP (mmHg)
NW
79±2*
80±2
78±2
0.279
0.702
<0.001

OW
88±2
88±2
86±2

Carotid PP (mmHg)
NW
46±4*
51±3
48±3
0.311
0.658
0.012

OW
59±4
60±3
59±4

AC (mm2/kPa)
NW
1.47±0.16
1.51±0.10
1.29±1.11
0.593
0.055
0.187

OW
1.37±0.18
1.05±0.12
1.23±0.13

Ep
NW
54.1±6.5
44.4±4.4
55.6±5.0
0.871
0.351
0.148

OW
56.6±7.8
62.7±5.2
55.3±6.0

cPWV (m/s)
NW
5.2±0.2
5.4±0.2
5.5±0.2
0.479
0.877
0.053

OW
5.9±0.3
6.0±0.2
5.8±0.3

IL‐6
NW
0.94±0.15
1.86±0.46
0.87±0.28
<0.001
0.721
0.493

OW
0.97±0.16
2.41±0.48
1.32±0.28

CRP
NW
1.26±0.30
1.92±0.48
2.46±0.65
<0.001
0.768
0.812

OW
0.77±0.31
1.93±0.49
2.65±0.67

Data are mean±SE. SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure: MAP, mean arterial pressure; PP, pulse pressure; AC, arterial compliance; Ep, elastic modulus; cPWV, central pulse wave velocity; IL‐6, interleukin‐6; CRP, C‐reactive protein.