Abstract P194: Body Silhouette Trajectories Across the Lifespan and Vascular Aging: The Paris Prospective Study 3

Abstract

Background: Vascular aging, i.e. accumulation of functional and structural changes of vessels throughout life, is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease. It can be quantified by higher carotid stiffness, intima-media thickness and diameter, and hypertension. Weight gain across the lifetime may be an important, modifiable determinant of vascular aging. Aim: To assess lifetime body silhouette trajectories (a marker of weight change across the lifespan) in relation to vascular aging in late adulthood. Methods: We used cross-sectional data from a community-based study (n=8,083; age 59.4; 38.6% women). A linear mixed model was used to assess trajectories of recalled body silhouettes from age 8 to 45. We assessed carotid stiffness, IMT and diameter (ultrasonography), resting hypertension (blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg or use of antihypertensives), and exaggerated exercise blood pressure, a marker of masked hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥150 mmHg during submaximal exercise). Results: We identified 5 trajectories: lean-stable (32%), lean-increase (11%), moderate-stable (33%), lean-marked increase (16%) and heavy-stable (8%). Compared to those in the lean-stable trajectory, individuals in the moderate-stable, lean-marked increase and heavy-stable trajectories had more evidence of vascular aging (Figure). Conclusions: Vascular aging was most prominent among individuals who were lean in early life but gained weight during young adulthood, and among those who were heavy in early life and maintained weight. This suggests that prevention of weight gain across the life course, especially during young adulthood, is important to promote healthy vascular aging.