VASCULAR AGE CONCEPT

Abstract

Objective: to compare two approaches of vascular age assessment in patients from population-based sample of St. Petersburg residents with blood pressure (BP) higher than 130/80 mmHg without pre-existing cardiovascular diseases. Design and method: In terms of epidemiological study ESSE-RF in 2012 — 2013 screening of the population-based sample of St. Petersburg residents (n = 1600) was performed. 477 participants including 295 women (61,8%) and 182 men (38,2%) at the age of 40 — 65 years without pre-existing cardiovascular events, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, with BP higher than 130/80 mmHg were selected. Anthropometry, fasting lipids, glucose, creatinine, urinary albumin excretion and BP measuring were performed according to standard procedures. Cardio-ankle vascular index with vascular age calculation and also ankle-brachial index were defined by of volume sphygmography performed with Vasera device (Fukuda Denshi, Japan). The estimated vascular age was determined by means of ASCORE scale. Early vascular aging (EVA) was detected if vascular age was higher than biological age for 4 years. Results: Mean age of participants was 52.5 ± 6.2 years. Vasera and ASCORE methods of vascular age assessment and EVA had low agreement (kappa 0.099). In condition when the degree of cardiovascular risk is increasing, early vascular ageing is being defined more often with ASCORE method than with Vasera method (see graph).Conclusions: Applying of the concept of vascular age and early vascular ageing can be an effective method for cardiovascular risk stratification and increasing of patient compliance that is especially relevant for young patients and patients with burdened family history. It is possible to assume that the assessment of virtual loading risk factors on arteries by means of ASCORE calculation method is more sensitive to premature vascular aging, at the same time it demands less financial and organizational efforts. The study was supported by the Grant of the President of Russian Federation for the Leading Scientific Schools of Russia (agreement 075-02-2018-57, 16.11.2018)