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Vascular function is further impaired in subjects aged 80 years or older

Hypertension Research volume 43, pages 914–921 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

The percentage of people aged 80 years or older in Japan has been increasing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between vascular functions and aging in the elderly population and to clarify the characteristics of vascular functions in subjects aged 80 years or older. We measured flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation (NID), and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in 737 subjects aged 60 years or older who visited the outpatient clinic at Hiroshima University Hospital. FMD and NID were significantly lower in subjects aged 80 years or older than in subjects aged 60–69 years or in subjects aged 70–79 years (1.9 ± 2.0% vs. 2.9 ± 2.6% and 2.7 ± 2.6%, P = 0.008 and P = 0.03, respectively and 8.6 ± 5.1% vs. 12.1 ± 5.6% and 11.2 ± 5.5%, P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). baPWV was significantly higher in subjects aged 80 years or older than in subjects aged 60–69 years or in subjects aged 70–79 years (1978 ± 452 cm/s vs. 1724 ± 319 cm/s and 1811 ± 318 cm/s, P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). Age over 80 years was significantly associated with lower FMD (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.19–3.42; P = 0.01), lower NID (OR, 3.62; 95% CI, 2.13–6.17; P < 0.001), and higher baPWV (OR, 3.48; 95% CI, 1.99–6.08; P < 0.001) after adjustment for other cardiovascular risk factors. Vascular functions, including endothelial function, vascular smooth muscle function, and arterial stiffness, were shown to be further impaired in subjects aged 80 years or older, suggesting that vascular functions continue to be impaired throughout life with aging.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Megumi Wakisaka, Miki Kumiji, Ki-ichiro Kawano, and Satoko Michiyama for their excellent secretarial assistance.

Funding

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan (18590815 and 21590898 to YH) and a Grant-in-Aid of Japanese Arteriosclerosis Prevention Fund (to YH).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan

    Tatsuya Maruhashi, Haruki Hashimoto, Yuji Takaeko, Takayuki Yamaji, Takahiro Harada, Yu Hashimoto, Takayuki Hidaka & Yasuki Kihara

  2. Division of Regeneration and Medicine, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan

    Masato Kajikawa & Yukihito Higashi

  3. Department of Cardiovascular Regeneration and Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan

    Shinji Kishimoto, Yiming Han, Yoshiki Aibara, Farina Mohamad Yusoff & Yukihito Higashi

  4. Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan

    Kazuaki Chayama

  5. Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan

    Ayumu Nakashima

  6. Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of General Rehabilitation, Hiroshima International University, Hiroshima, Japan

    Chikara Goto

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  1. Tatsuya Maruhashi
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Correspondence to Yukihito Higashi.

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Maruhashi, T., Kajikawa, M., Kishimoto, S. et al. Vascular function is further impaired in subjects aged 80 years or older. Hypertens Res 43, 914–921 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-020-0435-z

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