Association between endothelial function and skin advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) accumulation in a sample of predominantly young and healthy adults

Abstract Background In populations with chronic disease, skin autofluorescence (SAF), a measure of long-term fluorescent advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) accumulation in body tissues, has been associated with vascular endothelial function, measured using flow-mediated dilation (FMD). The primary aim of this study was to quantify the relationship between endothelial function and tissue accumulation of AGEs in adults from the general population to determine whether SAF could be used as a marker to predict early impairment of the endothelium. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 125 participants (median age: 28.5 y, IQR: 24.4–36.0; 54% women). Endothelial function was measured by fasting FMD. Skin AGEs were measured as SAF using an AGE Reader. Participant anthropometry, blood pressure, and blood biomarkers were also measured. Associations were evaluated using multivariable regression analysis and were adjusted for significant covariates. Results FMD was inversely correlated with SAF (ρ = -0.50, P