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Updated: Oct 23, 2025
Pulse Wave Velocity Testing in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging
Published on: February 7, 2014
Comparison of Different Cardiovascular Risk Score and Pulse Wave Velocity-Based Methods for Vascular Age Calculation
Helga Gyöngyösi1, Beáta Kőrösi1, Dóra Batta1
1Department of Family Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
Insights
Comparing vascular age calculation methods reveals significant differences. Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) methods showed varied results, highlighting the need for further comparative studies.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Preventive Cardiology
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Vascular age estimation aids patient adherence to healthy lifestyles and medication.
- Multiple methods exist for vascular age calculation, lacking comparative data.
- This study evaluates vascular age using Framingham Risk Score (FRS), Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV).
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare vascular age calculated by FRS, SCORE, and PWV.
- To assess the prevalence of increased vascular age across different methodologies.
- To understand the overlap and discrepancies between these vascular age assessment tools.
Main Methods:
- Inclusion of 172 subjects aged 40-65 years from a general practitioner screening program.
- Measurement of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) using tonometry.
- Calculation of vascular age based on FRS and SCORE according to established literature data.
Main Results:
- Median vascular ages differed: FRS (64 years) and SCORE (55 years) versus chronological age (55.5 years).
- Elevated vascular age prevalence: PWV (40.1%), FRS (78.5%), and SCORE (32%).
- High concordance between PWV+ and FRS+ (84%), and PWV+ and SCORE+ (85.4%), but moderate overlap between PWV+ and SCORE+ (30.9%).
Conclusions:
- Significant differences in calculated vascular ages and prevalence of elevated vascular age were observed.
- Further detailed comparisons of various vascular age calculation methods are warranted.
- Findings emphasize the need for standardized and validated approaches to vascular age assessment.
Background:
The calculation of vascular age can help patients understand the importance of adherence to healthy lifestyle and medications. However, multiple methods are available to calculate vascular age and no comparison data is available yet. Our aim was to evaluate vascular age based on the Framingham Risk Score (FRS), the Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV).
Methods:
Consecutive subjects between the age of 40-65 years, who took part in a screening program in three general practitioner practices were involved. PWV was measured by tonometry and was compared with normal values. Vascular age was defined based on FRS and SCORE according to literature data.
Results:
One hundred and seventy-two (172) patients were involved. The median chronological age was 55.5 (48.8-61.2) years. The median vascular age based on FRS and SCORE were 64 (54-79) years and 55 (44.2-60.7) years, respectively (p<0.05). Based on PWV, FRS and SCORE, 40.1%, 78.5% and 32% of the subjects had increased vascular age compared with chronological age, respectively (PWV+, FRS+, SCORE+, p<0.05). Fifty-eight (58) (84%) of the PWV+ subjects were also FRS+, and this proportion was high in case of SCORE+ patients as well (n=47, 85.4%). However, only moderate overlap was found between PWV+ and SCORE+ subjects as 17 (30.9%) of SCORE+ patients were also PWV+.
Conclusion:
The differences found between the calculated vascular ages and the proportion of subjects with elevated vascular age warrants further detailed comparison of different vascular age calculation methods.
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