Korean J Fam Med.  2018 Jul;39(4):253-259. 10.4082/kjfm.17.0038.

The Relationship between Aortic Knob Width and Metabolic Syndrome

• Lee EJ
• Han JH
• Kwon KY
• Kim JH
• Han KH
• Sung SY
• Hong SR

• KMID: 2429094
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.17.0038

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Both aortic knob width and metabolic syndrome are suggested to be related to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. However, the association between aortic knob width and metabolic syndrome is unknown. This study aimed to explore this relationship.
METHODS
Participants were 3,705 Korean adults aged 18-79 years who visited the health promotion center of a general hospital. Data on chest radiography, physical measurements, medical and social history, and blood tests were collected. We defined metabolic syndrome according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. A single reviewer measured aortic knob width on chest radiography.
RESULTS
Aortic knob width was significantly correlated with age; body mass index; waist circumference; systolic and diastolic blood pressures; total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting glucose, glycated hemoglobin, insulin, and uric acid levels; and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance values. Aortic knob width significantly increased as the number of metabolic syndrome components increased. Moreover, metabolic syndrome component values tended to increase across the quartile groups of aortic knob width after adjusting for age, exercise, smoking status, and alcohol use. Through receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, we determined the clinically useful cutoff value for aortic knob width to be 30.47 mm in premenopausal women.
CONCLUSION
Aortic knob width was found to be significantly related to metabolic syndrome and its individual components.

Keyword

Metabolic Syndrome; Aortic Knob Width; Thoracic Aorta; Chest Radiography

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aorta, Thoracic
Atherosclerosis
Body Mass Index
Cardiovascular Diseases
Cholesterol
Education
Fasting
Female
Glucose
Health Promotion
Hematologic Tests
Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated
Hospitals, General
Humans
Insulin
Insulin Resistance
Lipoproteins
Radiography
ROC Curve
Smoke
Smoking
Thorax
Triglycerides
Uric Acid
Waist Circumference
Cholesterol
Glucose
Insulin
Lipoproteins
Smoke
Uric Acid