Association of plasma acylated ghrelin with blood pressure and left ventricular mass in patients with metabolic syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

The gut-derived hormone, ghrelin, improves cardiac function in healthy individuals and patients with chronic heart failure. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the major isoforms of the hormone, acylated and desacyl ghrelin, are related to inappropriate left ventricular mass in patients with the metabolic syndrome (MetS).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Plasma concentrations of ghrelin forms were measured in 180 white participants (65 normal weight, 60 obese without MetS and 55 obese with MetS; 56% men). MetS was defined according to Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. The presence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was diagnosed by sex-specific left ventricular mass/height cut-off values (>49.2 g/m for men and >46.7 g/m for women). Circulating concentrations of acylated ghrelin were increased in obesity and MetS, whereas desacyl ghrelin levels were decreased. Compared with participants in the lowest tertiles, the age-adjusted and sex-adjusted odds of having MetS were lower in the highest category of desacyl ghrelin (odds ratio 0.1, 95% confidence interval 0.1-0.4, P < 0.001). The prevalence of LVH was increased in the highest tertile of acylated ghrelin (odds ratio 3.4, 95% confidence interval 1.7-5.6, P < 0.05). Plasma acylated ghrelin was increased (P < 0.05) in patients with MetS exhibiting LVH compared with those with appropriate left ventricular mass, whereas plasma desacyl ghrelin was not changed (P = 0.490).

CONCLUSION

Acylated ghrelin was positively associated with SBP and left ventricular mass indices, even after correction for BMI. These results suggest that the increased acylated ghrelin concentrations may represent a compensatory mechanism to overcome the development of hypertension and LVH in patients with MetS.