Introduction: Skin microvascular flowmotion (SMF) plays an important role in optimal delivery of nutrients/oxygen to tissue and in maintaining normal peripheral resistance. It is unclear however, which determinants influence SMF. Therefore, we investigated which cardiovascular risk factors are associated with SMF.

Methods: We measured SMF in 506 participants without a prior cardiovascular event. SMF was investigated using Fourier transform analysis of skin laser Doppler flowmetry. The associations of the cardiovascular determinants age, sex, waist circumference, 24-h systolic blood pressure (SBP), total-to-HDL cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and cigarette smoking with SMF were analyzed by use of multiple linear regression analysis.

Results: The mean age of the study population (n=506) was 58.8 ± 8.5 years, 260 (51.4%) were men, mean waist circumference was 95.7 ± 13.0 cm, mean 24-h SBP was 119 ± 12 mmHg, and 73 (14.4%) were smokers. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and medication, per 1SD higher age SMF was 0.17 SD (95%CI: 0.08; 0.26; P < 0.001) higher; per 1SD higher waist circumference SMF was −0.12 SD (−0.23; −0.01; P = 0.03) lower; per 1SD higher 24-h SBP SMF was 0.17 SD (0.07; 0.27; P < 0.001) higher. No other associations with SMF were found.

Conclusions: Age and blood pressure were directly, while waist circumference was inversely associated with SMF. The exact mechanisms underlying these findings remain elusive. The present data support the hypothesis that microvascular dysfunction, specifically, impaired SMF, plays a role in the development of obesity-related insulin resistance and hypertension.