Clinical Research
Aging and Vascular Function
Normal Vascular Aging: Differential Effects on Wave Reflection and Aortic Pulse Wave Velocity: The Anglo-Cardiff Collaborative Trial (ACCT)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2005.07.037Get rights and content
Under an Elsevier user license
open archive

Objectives

The aim of the current investigation was to test the hypothesis that age-related changes in augmentation index (AIx) are more prominent in younger individuals (<50 years), whereas changes in aortic stiffness per se are more marked in older individuals (>50 years).

Background

Aging exerts a number of deleterious changes in the cardiovascular system, and, in particular, on the large arteries. Previous studies have suggested that AIx and pulse wave velocity (PWV) increase linearly with age, yet epidemiological data concerning pulse pressure suggest that large artery stiffening predominantly occurs later in life.

Methods

Peripheral and central blood pressure, augmentation pressure (AP), and AIx were determined in 4,001 healthy, normotensive individuals, aged 18 to 90 years. Aortic and brachial PWV were also determined in a subset of 998 subjects.

Results

Peripheral and central pulse pressure, AP, AIx, and aortic and brachial PWV all increased significantly with age; however, the age-related changes in AIx and aortic PWV were non-linear, with AIx increasing more in younger individuals, whereas the changes in PWV were more prominent in older individuals.

Conclusions

These data suggest that AIx might be a more sensitive marker of arterial stiffening and risk in younger individuals but aortic PWV is likely to be a better measure in older individuals.

Abbreviations and Acronyms

ACCT
Anglo-Cardiff Collaborative Trial
AIx
augmentation index
ANOVA
analysis of variance
AP
augmentation pressure
CSBP
central systolic pressure
HR
heart rate
MAP
mean arterial pressure
PP
pulse pressure
PPP
peripheral PP
PWV
pulse wave velocity
Tr
time to return of the reflected pressure wave

Cited by (0)