Introduction: Diabetes and Hypertension affect cardiovascular structure and function. We investigated the relationship between large artery structure (ascending aortic intima-medial thickness -aaIMT), stiffness (ascending aortic distensibility-AAD & aortic pulse wave velocity-aPWV) and other cardiac structure and functional parameters by transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) in a group of young pre-menopausal women without any cardiac disorder.

Patients and Methods: 83 women (age 35.8 years, 95% CI 34.7–36.8) underwent anthropometric, biochemical assessments, TTE and aPWV measurements. The aaIMT was measured by 2-D mode by parasternal long axis view. AAD was computed using measurements of aortic root diameter in systole and diastole and aPWV by Doppler USS technique over descending aorta and thoraco-abdominal aorta between the origin of left subclavian artery and the bifurcation of the aorta.

Results: There was correlation between LV-Isovolumic relaxation time and AAD (r=0.336; p=0.03) but not with aPWV. There was no relation between LV posterior wall thickness and aaIMT. After adjustment for age, body mass index, smoking history, day in menstrual cycle, systolic velocity time integral and total cholesterol only diastolic blood pressure was independently related to AAD (β: −0.18; 95% CI: −0.029 to −0.007; p=0.001) and to aPWV (β: 0.082; 0.027 to 0.138; p=0.004). Fasting plasma glucose influenced AAD (β: −0.212; −0.407 to −0.018; p=0.033) but not aPWV.

Conclusion: In young women, without overt diabetes, hypertension or pre-existing cardiac disease, proximal but not distal aortic stiffness was related to LV stiffness, in part influenced by BP, while glycaemia influenced only the proximal aortic stiffness independent of LV systolic function.