Vascular aging and its relationship with lifestyles and other risk factors in the general Spanish population: Early Vascular Ageing Study

To describe the prevalence of healthy vascular aging (HVA), normal vascular aging and early vascular aging (EVA) in a sample of Spanish population without cardiovascular disease. The relationship of vascular aging with lifestyle, cardiovascular risk factors, psychological and inflammatory risk factors is also analyzed.

A total of 501 participants were recruited (49.70% men, aged 55.90 ± 14.24 years) by random sampling. Vascular aging was defined in three steps: Step 1: participants with vascular damage in carotid arteries or peripheral artery disease were classified as EVA. Step 2: with the percentiles of carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) we used three criteria, first, the 10th and 90th cfPWV percentiles of the population studied by age and sex; second, the 10th and 90th percentiles of the European population reference values and third, the 25th and 75th cfPWV percentiles of the population studied by age and sex. Step 3: participants with hypertension or type 2 diabetes mellitus included in HVA were reclassified as normal vascular aging. Arterial stiffness was assessed with cfPWV using a Sphygmocor device. Physical activity was measured with an accelerometer. Psychological factors, lifestyle and other clinical information were obtained by standard questionnaire.

The global prevalence of HVA was 8 and 14% (men 8 and 10%, women 9 and 18%), and 22 and 18% (men 26 and 23%, women 17 and 12%) for EVA, using criteria a and b, respectively. In the logistic regression analysis, vascular aging maintains positive associations with more sedentary time [odds ratio (OR) = 2.37 and 4.51], having triglycerides above 150 mg/dl (OR = 6.55 and 4.06), abdominal obesity (OR = 2.73 and 2.90), increased uric acid (OR = 4.63 and 2.98) and insulin resistance index homeostatic model assessment (OR = 4.05 and 6.78), and a negative association with less physical activity (OR = 0.29 and 0.28) using criteria a and b, respectively.

One in 10 has HVA and one in five EVA. The prevalence of EVA is higher in men. Study results suggest that preventive strategies aimed at increasing physical activity, reducing sedentary time and decreasing obesity and insulin resistance improve vascular aging.