Association between chronological age and vascular function in adults with and without multiple sclerosis.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Neurology
• Aging Research

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is linked to vascular comorbidities that worsen with age.
• Vascular function (VF) impacts MS outcomes including cognition, fatigue, and disability.
• The relationship between age and VF in MS is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare vascular function (VF) between MS patients and controls.
• To investigate age as a predictor of VF parameters in MS.
• To assess carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx75).

Main Methods:

• Compared 129 MS patients and 51 controls on PWV and AIx75.
• Utilized regression analysis to determine predictors of VF.
• Controlled for factors like BMI, MAP, sex, EDSS, and disease duration.

Main Results:

• MS patients had higher PWV (7.2 m/s) than controls (6.6 m/s); AIx75 did not differ.
• Age significantly predicted PWV in MS patients after controlling for BMI and MAP (β = 0.256, p<0.01).
• Age significantly predicted AIx75 in both MS patients (β = 0.371, p<0.01) and controls (β = 0.347, p<0.01) after relevant adjustments.

Conclusions:

• Age is a significant predictor of vascular function in individuals with MS.
• Future research should explore vascular aging across the lifespan in MS.
• Understanding age-related VF changes is crucial for managing MS outcomes.