A new method for vascular age estimation based on relative risk difference in vascular aging.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Biomedical Engineering
• Gerontology

Background:

• Current vascular age (VA) estimation models rely on chronological age (CA), failing to capture individual differences in vascular aging (IDVA).
• This limitation can lead to inaccurate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessments.
• A more personalized approach to VA estimation is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for estimating VA that incorporates IDVA.
• To provide a more accurate assessment of cardiovascular disease risk by addressing limitations of CA-based VA models.

Main Methods:

• Introduced Relative Risk Difference in Vascular Aging (RRDVA) to quantify IDVA.
• Developed a regression model using CA and two key arteriosclerosis indicators to predict individual PA.
• Integrated RRDVA and CA as factors to determine the new VA.

Main Results:

• The proposed VA, based on RRDVA, showed significant correlations with 27 indirect vascular aging indicators.
• VA demonstrated superior correlation with these indicators compared to CA.
• An RRDVA greater than zero indicated an elevated risk of disease.

Conclusions:

• The new VA estimation method effectively overcomes the limitations of CA in characterizing IDVA.
• This improved VA assessment can aid in identifying high-risk individuals, including younger populations.
• Promoting healthy behaviors among at-risk groups can be facilitated by more accurate VA.