High serum advanced glycation end-products predict coronary artery disease irrespective of arterial stiffness in diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. We investigated whether serum AGEs are related to the presence or severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), and explored the association between serum AGEs and arterial stiffness according to diabetes status in patients suspected of having CAD. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The measurement of serum AGEs and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were performed in 145 consecutive patients (63±9 years, 58% men) who received a coronary angiogram for evaluation of CAD. RESULTS: Forty-four diabetics and 101 non-diabetics were classified into three subgroups based on the number of diseased vessels with obstructive CAD: 0, 1, and 2 or more vessel diseases (VDs). Serum AGEs were significantly higher in diabetics with obstructive CAD than in those without obstructive CAD (2.16±0.29 vs. 1.85±0.29 mU/mL, p=0.010) and were significantly correlated with the number of VDs only in diabetics (r=0.504, p