Effect of age on arterial distensibility in healthy subjects and in patients with end-stage renal failure

Abstract

Noninvasive studies have shown that arterial compliance decreases with age before leveling out at about 60 years. To investigate the effect of age on arterial compliance in patients with end-stage renal failure, arterial compliance of the common carotid artery was determined in 25 normotensive, renal transplanted patients (22–60 years) 6–12 weeks after transplantation and in 25 healthy controls (21–64 years). A multigate Doppler system was used to measure the vessel wall movements of the common carotid artery and blood pressure was recorded by finger-plethysmography. The distensibility and the cross-sectional compliance of the common carotid artery was significantly lower in the renal transplant group than in the healthy controls (p<0.01). In both groups there was a significant decrease of arterial distensibility with increasing age (p<0.01). The decrease of distensibility with increasing age was more pronounced in the renal transplant group when compared with the healthy controls. Normal arterial aging processes may be accelerated in end-stage renal failure and could contribute to the high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality of patients with end-stage renal failure.