Age estimation from quantitative evaluation of atherosclerosis of abdominal aorta in Japanese

To assess validity of age estimation from the degree of atherosclerosis of abdominal aorta, we quantitatively evaluated the atherosclerotic parameters (surface involvement of atherosclerotic lesions, atherosclerotic index, and aortic width at renal arteries and common iliac bifurcation, which was measured by using digital photographs at autopsy), and collected individual factors (age, sex, body height, body weight and heart weight, and body surface, body mass index and cardiomegaly index) in autopsied 103 bodies (62 males, 41 females) during 2 years. We statistically examined their data by multiple regression analysis to determine the effects of the individual factors on the proceeding parameters of atherosclerosis, and obtained correlation coefficient, regression equation, and standard error of estimate between the atherosclerotic parameters and age. Among the factors, only age was influential on all the atherosclerotic parameters, of which the surface involvement (SI%) and the aortic width at common iliac bifurcation (Wb cm) were acceptable as the parameters for age estimation, and useful in a wide age range, according to the results of the standard errors of estimate. We also recognized predicting formulae for age (Y) by multiple regression analysis; Y = 0.52SI + 9.53Wb - 4.41 in males and Y = 0.34SI + 18.47Wb - 23.32 in females.