Are Gujarati Asian Indians 'older' for their 'vascular age' as compared to their 'Chronological age'?

South Asians are known to carry higher burden of cardiovascular diseases when compared with their Caucasian counterparts.

This study was designed to evaluate whether vascular age is advanced for Gujarati Asian Indians as matched to their chronological age in apparently healthy, asymptomatic population. We have also assessed the contributing risk factors for premature vascular ageing.

It was cross-sectional study of 2483 individuals of Gujarat state in Western India having no past or present history of major illness including cardiovascular diseases.

The vascular age of the population was calculated using Framingham vascular age calculator. A relationship between risk factor prevalence and vascular ageing was evaluated using univariate analysis of variance.

The mean chronological age of the study population was 46.8 (±10.35) years whereas mean vascular age was 53.34 (±16.05) years, and the difference (6.54±9.5) between both was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). Contributory risk factors for advanced vascular age apart from chronological age (75.4%) and male gender (66.2%) were the presence of dyslipidemia (60.4%) hypertension (57.34%) and increased waist circumference (WC) (male 39.7%, female 29%). Results of regression analysis showed that vascular age progression was highly associated with blood pressure (19.9, 95% CI: 14.34-27.63), followed by smoking (15.23, 95% CI: 8.4-27.59), and blood sugar (12.97, 95% CI: 3.48-48.25).

The Gujarati Asian Indians are subjected to premature vascular ageing and henceforth routine screening for vascular age and risk factors prevalence is strongly advocated in this ethnic group.