This study shows that plasma levels of hsCRP are positively correlated with AIx, central pulse pressure and central systolic blood pressure. Apparently healthy subjects with increased inflammatory markers have increased systemic arterial stiffness, which might reflect early atherosclerotic changes. Our results suggest that hsCRP and non-invasively measured arterial stiffness could serve as additional tools, beside conventional cardiovascular risk factors, for assessment of global arterial risk and preclinical atherosclerotic changes in arteries.

The possible link between arterial elasticity and F2-IsoPs in patients with PAD suggests that oxidative modifications may be involved in alterations of arterial elastic properties in atherosclerosis.

AMI patients with hyperglycaemia on admission, independent of a history of diabetes, represent a high-risk population for 180-day mortality. The worst outcome occurs in non-diabetic hyperglycaemic patients. Further studies are warranted to clarify the questions of hyperglycaemia treatment in AMI patients.

The results of the present study showed that CRP, OxLDL, Hcy and age are not similarly related to AIx and IMT in asymptomatic persons. The results suggest that CRP and younger age are related to arterial stiffness, whereas OxLDL and older age become more important determinants of structural changes of the arteries in asymptomatic persons.