Age-related Vascular Changes Research Articles

Hemodialysis vascular access in the elderly: Promising results from a tertiary center

BackgroundHemodialysis patients, particularly the elderly, present challenges for vascular access (VA) creation due to age-related vascular changes and comorbidities. This study aimed to characterize outcomes related to VA in elderly patients (≥75 years) and compare them with younger patients, focusing on primary failure, maturation failure, and patency rates. MethodsThis retrospective study included patients evaluated in VA consultations between January 2019 and December 2021; patients were evaluated through physical examination and Color Doppler Ultrasound to determine the suitability of vessels for VA construction. Demographic data, proposed and created VA types were assessed. The primary outcomes were the evaluation and comparison of primary failure and maturation failure of VA in the elderly (O) and younger (Y) groups. Secondary outcomes included the assessment of primary patency and primary assisted patency at 6, 12, and 24 months in both groups. ResultsAmong 167 patients, 36 were elderly. There were no significant differences in proposed and created VA types between the Y and O groups and radial-cephalic AVFs were the most commonly constructed VA in both groups.Primary and maturation failure rates were similar (Y group: 17.3% and 5.6%; O group: 9.7% and 10.7%, respectively). Primary patency and primary assisted patency rates did not significantly differ between groups at 6, 12, and 24 months. ConclusionThe impact of age on the feasibility of VA should not be exaggerated. Preoperative assessment and a tailored approach enable successful autologous access creation in elderly patients, resulting in outcomes comparable to those of younger patients.

Update on the Use of Pulse Wave Velocity to Measure Age-Related Vascular Changes.

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is an important and well-established measure of arterialstiffness that is strongly associated with aging. Age-related alterations in the elastic properties and integrity ofarterial walls can lead to cardiovascular disease. PWV measurements play an important role in the earlydetection of these changes, as well as other cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as hypertension. Thisreview provides a comprehensive summary of the current knowledge of the effects of aging on arterial stiffness,as measured by PWV. This review highlights recent findings showing the applicability of PWV analysis forinvestigating heart failure, hypertension, and other cardiovascular diseases, as well as cerebrovascular diseasesand Alzheimer's disease. It also discusses the clinical implications of utilizing PWV to monitor treatmentoutcomes, various challenges in implementing PWV assessment in clinical practice, and the development ofnew technologies, including machine learning and artificial intelligence, which may improve the usefulness ofPWV measurements in the future. Measuring arterial stiffness through PWV remains an important technique to study aging, especiallyas the technology continues to evolve. There is a clear need to leverage PWV to identify interventions thatmitigate age-related increases in PWV, potentially improving CVD outcomes and promoting healthy vascularaging.

Vascular aging and cardiovascular disease: pathophysiology and measurement in the coronary arteries

Age is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including atherosclerosis. However, pathophysiological disease processes in the arteries are not an inevitable feature of aging. Large cohort studies with arterial phenotyping along with clinical and demographic data are essential to better understand factors related to the susceptibility or resilience to age-related vascular pathophysiology in humans. This review explores the mechanisms by which vascular structure and function alters with age, and how these changes relate to cardiovascular pathophysiology and disease. Features of vascular aging in the coronary arteries have historically been difficult to quantify pre-mortem due to their size and location. However, non-invasive imaging modalities including CT Coronary Angiogram are now being used to assess coronary vascular age, and further advances in imaging analysis such as the CT Fat Attenuation Index will help provide further measurement of features associated with coronary vascular aging. Currently, markers of vascular aging are not used as therapeutic targets in routine clinical practice, but non-pharmacological interventions including aerobic exercise and low salt diet, as well as anti-hypertensives have been demonstrated to reduce arterial stiffness. Advances in imaging technology, both in acquisition and advanced analysis, as well as harmonisation of measurements for researchers across the globe will be invaluable in understanding what constitutes healthy vascular aging and in identifying features of vascular aging that are associated with coronary artery disease and its adverse outcomes. Assessing such images in large cohorts can facilitate improved definitions of resilient and susceptible phenotypes to vascular aging in the coronary arteries. This is a critical step in identifying further risk factors and biomarkers within these groups and driving forward the development of novel therapies aimed at slowing or stopping age-related vascular changes in the coronary arteries.

Vascular and lymphatic heterogeneity and age-related variations of dental pulps

ObjectivesDental pulp tissue is highly vascularized. However, age-related vascular changes of the dental pulp in mice and humans remain poorly understood. We modified a novel tissue clearing method, mapped the vasculature, pericytes, and perivascular matrix in the dental pulp via high-resolution 3D imaging. MethodsWe isolated young and aged pulps from mouse teeth, and mapped vasculature through a high-resolution thick frozen sections imaging method and a modified tissue clearing method. Human dental pulps were also mapped for vasculature studying. Furthermore, young and aged human dental pulps were collected and were compared with mouse pulps through RNA- sequencing. ResultsFive vascular subtypes of blood vessels were found in the mouse dental pulp, which constituted the arterioles-capillaries-venules network. The density of capillaries and venules of molars declined obviously in aged mice. Among the age-dependent changes in the perivascular pulp matrix, the perivascular macrophages remarkably increased, lymphatic capillaries increased, while the nerves and extracellular matrix remained unchanged. Furthermore, the vascular patterns of human formed a complex vascular network. Both mouse and human dental pulps exhibited an inflammaging state. TNF pathway and Rap1 pathway might become promising targets for combating inflammaging and promoting angiogenesis. ConclusionsFive subtypes of blood vessels were identified within the dental pulp of mice. Notably, the density of capillaries and venules in pulps of aged mice was reduced. Furthermore, partial similarities were observed in the vascular patterns between the dental pulps of humans and mice. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that both mouse and human dental pulps exhibit indications of an inflammaging state. Clinical SignificanceThis study may contribute to unraveling potential therapeutic targets in the pulp regeneration and treatment of relevant diseases in the elderly.

Vascular Aging: Assessment and Intervention.

Vascular aging represents a collection of structural and functional changes in a blood vessel with advancing age, including increased stiffness, vascular wall remodeling, loss of angiogenic ability, and endothelium-dependent vasodilation dysfunction. These age-related alterations may occur earlier in those who are at risk for or have cardiovascular diseases, therefore, are defined as early or premature vascular aging. Vascular aging contributes independently to cardio-cerebral vascular diseases (CCVDs). Thus, early diagnosis and interventions targeting vascular aging are of paramount importance in the delay or prevention of CCVDs. Here, we review the direct assessment of vascular aging by examining parameters that reflect changes in structure, function, or their compliance with age including arterial wall thickness and lumen diameter, endothelium-dependent vasodilation, arterial stiffness as well as indirect assessment through pathological studies of biomarkers including endothelial progenitor cell, lymphocytic telomeres, advanced glycation end-products, and C-reactive protein. Further, we evaluate how different types of interventions including lifestyle mediation, such as caloric restriction and salt intake, and treatments for hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia affect age-related vascular changes. As a single parameter or intervention targets only a certain vascular physiological change, it is recommended to use multiple parameters to evaluate and design intervention approaches accordingly to prevent systemic vascular aging in clinical practices or population-based studies.

Клиническое наблюдение позднего дебюта оливопонтоцеребеллярной атрофии

Background. Olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the continuously progressive course that combines the signs of cerebellar ataxia, parkinsonism, pyramidal syndrome, choreoathetosis, dementia, oculomotor dysfunction, affected peripheral nerves, and autonomic failure. Differential diagnosis is hampered by late onset of the disease in adulthood and older age, low prevalence in the population, non-specific nature, and slowly emerging symptoms. The paper investigates the clinical case of olivopontocerebellar atrophy that has been extremely difficult to verify. Aim. To attract attention of physicians of different specialties, primarily neurologists, psychiatrists, general practitioners, on the issue of rare neurodegenerative disorders, which are extremely difficult to verify in adulthood and older age. Methods. Medical history of female patient М., 68 years, who stayed at psychotherapy department. Assessment of the whole body, mental, and neurological status. Results. Considering the complaints of the patient and her relatives, the data of psychological and psychiatric assessment, neurological status, brain MRI, and no response to treatment with neurological and psychotherapeutic drugs, the following probable clinical diagnosis was established: “Congenital spinocerebellar ataxia of unspecified type (olivopontocerebellar atrophy)”. Conclusion. Early diagnosis of the OPCA clinical manifestations is extremely difficult, especially in elderly individuals, since the disorder occurs under the guise of age-related vascular changes in the brain matter and manifests itself in focal symptoms and mental function impairment. The history of the signs of prominent cognitive decline and multiple focal symptoms in the elderly patient, who is not excessive drinker and has no malignant hypertension or severe atherosclerosis, as well as any other background disease, requires exclusion of the disease vascular or degenerative origin. In the reported case, the combination of cerebellar ataxia and dementia constituted the core of clinical manifestations of the neurodegenerative process confirmed by brain imaging to exclude the conversion disorder.

Comparison of age-related vascular changes in the optic disc of patients with diabetes, with glaucomatous and non-glaucomatous features

ObjectiveTo identify age-related vascular changes in the optic discs of patients with diabetes with and without signs of glaucoma.Methods and analysisA total of 2153 eyes of 1797 patients with diabetes...

Quantitative Characterization of Age-Related Changes in Peripheral Vessels of a Human Palm Using Raster-Scan Optoacoustic Angiography

The analysis of age-related changes in skin vessels based on optoacoustic angiographic images during the in vivo skin monitoring of healthy volunteers at different ages is reported. As a result of a quantitative analysis of the three-dimensional OA images, the age-associated differences in the following image parameters were revealed: image intensity, ratio of blood content at different characteristics depths, total vessel length, and number of branches. The reported approach can be effectively employed for automatic assessment and monitoring of age-related vascular changes in the skin and underlying tissues.

Modification of cerebrovascular morphologies during different stages of life

To expand previous understanding of age-related vascular changes, we examined the association between aging and characteristics of cerebral arteries among 1133 participants aged 35 to 75 years recruited from Shanghai, China. Characteristics of the cerebral vessels including arterial branch density, mean radius, and mean tortuosity were quantified using MR angiography. The radius, tortuosity, and length of the basilar artery (BA) and the M1 segment of middle cerebral artery (MCA) were also accessed. Linear regression model was used to examine the association between age and vasculature features. The sample was divided into four subgroups by age and the association was analyzed in each subgroup. Age was found to be a significant predictor for cerebrovascular modifications after adjusting for vascular risk factors. Further analysis in subgroup revealed that the associations were due to the predominate effect of the vascular modifications happened during the younger years (35–54 years). The radius of either BA or MCA was associated with aging only in subjects aged 45–54 years. In conclusion, rapid alterations in all three morphological features assessed have been noticed to be associated with aging in the 45–54 subgroup, suggesting the potential importance of the 5th decade for early preservation method for vascular aging.

Alterungsbedingte Gefäßveränderungen am Beispiel der Arteria carotis

Einer der Hauptrisikofaktoren für das Vorliegen einer Karotisstenose und des karotisbedingten Schlaganfalls ist das Lebensalter. Ziel dieses Übersichtsartikels ist die Darstellung des aktuellen Wissensstands über altersbedingte Veränderungen der Gefäße am Beispiel der Karotisstenose.Die Gefäßalterung (vaskuläre Seneszenz) als Abnahme struktureller und funktioneller Eigenschaften der Gefäßwand spielt sich auf verschiedenen Ebenen ab. Auf multizellulärer Ebene kommt es mit zunehmendem Alter hauptsächlich aufgrund von atherosklerotischen Veränderungen der Gefäßwand zu einer Zunahme von Gefäßvolumen und -durchmesser sowie der Intima-Media-Dicke. Auf zellulärer und extrazellulärer Ebene kommt es zur Abnahme von Elastinfasern, glatten Muskelzellen und der Gesamtzellularität sowie zur Zunahme der Lipid‑, Cholesterin- und Kalziumphosphatablagerungen und der Neovaskularisierung. Ursachen der Gefäßalterung auf molekularer Ebene sind insbesondere oxidativer Stress, chronische Entzündungsreaktion, mitochondriale Dysfunktion, epigenetische Veränderungen, Dysregulation der Expression nicht kodierender RNAs (ncRNAs) und die Zunahme der Seneszenz. Der altersbedingte Verlust der Heilungs- und Reparaturfähigkeit des Gewebes macht die Plaques vulnerabler und im Falle der A. carotis anfälliger für ischämische Schlaganfälle.Zunehmende Erkenntnisse über den Einfluss des Alterns auf die Epigenetik und der ncRNAs in atherosklerotischen Plaques kann zukünftig das individuelle Risiko von Patienten genauer quantifizieren und zur Entwicklung zielgerichteter Therapiestrategien beitragen. Weitere Studien sind auf diesem Gebiet jedoch notwendig, um das gesamte Ausmaß der Gefäßalterung und den damit einhergehenden Erkrankungen zu verstehen, damit diesen dann gezielt entgegenwirkt werden kann.

Age-Related Tortuosity of Carotid and Vertebral Arteries: Quantitative Evaluation With MR Angiography.

Background and PurposeThe vascular tortuosity (VT) of the internal carotid artery (ICA), and vertebral artery (VA) can impact blood flow and neuronal function. However, few studies involved quantitative investigation of VT based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The main purpose of our study was to evaluate the age and gender effects on ICA and VA regarding the tortuosity and flow changes by applying automatic vessel segmentation, centerline tracking, and phase mapping on MR angiography.MethodsA total of 247 subjects (86 males and 161 females) without neurological diseases participated in this study. All subjects obtained T1-weighted MRI, 3D time-of-flight MR angiography, and 2D phase-contrast (PC) MRI scans. To generate quantitative tortuosity metrics from TOF images, the vessel segmentation and centerline tracking were implemented based on Otsu thresholding and fast marching algorithms, respectively. Blood flow and velocity were measured using PC MRI. Among the 247 subjects, 144 subjects (≤ 60 years, 49 males/95 females) were categorized as the young group; 103 subjects (>60 years, 37 males/66 females) were categorized as the old group.ResultsIndependent t-test showed that older subjects had higher tortuosity metrics, whereas lower blood flow and velocity than young subjects (p < 0.0025, Bonferroni-corrected). Cerebral blood flow calculated using the sum flux of four target arteries normalized by the brain mass also showed significantly lower values in older subjects (p < 0.001). The age was observed to be positively correlated with the VT metrics. Compared to the males, the females demonstrated higher geometric indices within VAs as well as faster age-related vascular profile changes. After adjusting age and gender as covariates, maximum blood velocity is negatively correlated with geometric measurements. No association was observed between blood flux and geometric measures.ConclusionsVascular auto-segmentation, centerline tracking, and phase mapping provide promising quantitative assessments of tortuosity and its effects on blood flow. The neck arteries demonstrate quantifiable and significant age-related morphological and hemodynamic alterations. Moreover, females showed more distinct vascular changes with age. Our work is built upon a comprehensive quantitative investigation of a large cohort of populations covering adult lifespan using MRI, the results can serve as reference ranges of each decade in the general population.

Increased Susceptibility to Cerebral Microhemorrhages Is Associated With Imaging Signs of Microvascular Degeneration in the Retina in an Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Deficient Mouse Model of Accelerated Aging.

Age-related cerebrovascular defects contribute to vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) as well as other forms of dementia. There has been great interest in developing biomarkers and other tools for studying cerebrovascular disease using more easily accessible tissues outside the brain such as the retina. Decreased circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels in aging are thought to contribute to the development of cerebrovascular impairment, a hypothesis that has been supported by the use of IGF-1 deficient animal models. Here we evaluate vascular and other retinal phenotypes in animals with circulating IGF-1 deficiency and ask whether the retina mimics common age-related vascular changes in the brain such as the development of microhemorrhages. Using a hypertension-induced model, we confirm that IGF-1 deficient mice exhibited worsened microhemorrhages than controls. The retinas of IGF-1 deficient animals do not exhibit microhemorrhages but do exhibit signs of vascular damage and retinal stress such as patterns of vascular constriction and Müller cell activation. These signs of retinal stress are not accompanied by retinal degeneration or impaired neuronal function. These data suggest that the role of IGF-1 in the retina is complex, and while IGF-1 deficiency leads to vascular defects in both the brain and the retina, not all brain pathologies are evident in the retina.

Protective Effects of PACAP in Peripheral Organs.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neuropeptide widely distributed in the nervous system, where it exerts strong neuroprotective effects. PACAP is also expressed in peripheral organs but its peripheral protective effects have not been summarized so far. Therefore, the aim of the present paper is to review the existing literature regarding the cytoprotective effects of PACAP in non-neuronal cell types, peripheral tissues, and organs. Among others, PACAP has widespread expression in the digestive system, where it shows protective effects in various intestinal pathologies, such as duodenal ulcer, small bowel ischemia, and intestinal inflammation. PACAP is present in both the exocrine and endocrine pancreas as well as liver where it reduces inflammation and steatosis by interfering with hepatic pathology related to obesity. It is found in several exocrine glands and also in urinary organs, where, with its protective effects being mainly published regarding renal pathologies, PACAP is protective in numerous conditions. PACAP displays anti-inflammatory effects in upper and lower airways of the respiratory system. In the skin, it is involved in the development of inflammatory pathology such as psoriasis and also has anti-allergic effects in a model of contact dermatitis. In the non-neuronal part of the visual system, PACAP showed protective effects in pathological conditions of the cornea and retinal pigment epithelial cells. The positive role of PACAP has been demonstrated on the formation and healing processes of cartilage and bone where it also prevents osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis development. The protective role of PACAP was also demonstrated in the cardiovascular system in different pathological processes including hyperglycaemia-induced endothelial dysfunction and age-related vascular changes. In the heart, PACAP protects against ischemia, oxidative stress, and cardiomyopathies. PACAP is also involved in the protection against the development of pre-senile systemic amyloidosis, which is presented in various peripheral organs in PACAP-deficient mice. The studies summarized here provide strong evidence for the cytoprotective effects of the peptide. The survival-promoting effects of PACAP depend on a number of factors which are also shortly discussed in the present review.

TAFI deficiency causes maladaptive vascular remodeling after hemophilic joint bleeding.

Excessive vascular remodeling is characteristic of hemophilic arthropathy (HA) and may contribute to joint bleeding and the progression of HA. Mechanisms for pathological vascular remodeling after hemophilic joint bleeding are unknown. In hemophilia, activation of thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) is impaired, which contributes to joint bleeding and may also underlie the aberrant vascular remodeling. Here, hemophilia A (factor VIII-deficient; FVIII-deficient) mice or TAFI-deficient mice with transient (antibody-induced) hemophilia A were used to determine the role of FVIII and TAFI in vascular remodeling after joint bleeding. Excessive vascular remodeling and vessel enlargement persisted in FVIII-deficient and TAFI-deficient mice, but not in transient hemophilia WT mice, after similar joint bleeding. TAFI-overexpression in FVIII-deficient mice prevented abnormal vessel enlargement and vascular leakage. Age-related vascular changes were observed with FVIII or TAFI deficiency and correlated positively with bleeding severity after injury, supporting increased vascularity as a major contributor to joint bleeding. Antibody-mediated inhibition of uPA also prevented abnormal vascular remodeling, suggesting that TAFI's protective effects include inhibition of uPA-mediated plasminogen activation. In conclusion, the functional TAFI deficiency in hemophilia drives maladaptive vascular remodeling in the joints after bleeding. These mechanistic insights allow targeted development of potentially new strategies to normalize vascularity and control rebleeding in HA.

Perceptual and conceptual processing of visual objects across the adult lifespan

Making sense of the external world is vital for multiple domains of cognition, and so it is crucial that object recognition is maintained across the lifespan. We investigated age differences in perceptual and conceptual processing of visual objects in a population-derived sample of 85 healthy adults (24–87 years old) by relating measures of object processing to cognition across the lifespan. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was recorded during a picture naming task to provide a direct measure of neural activity, that is not confounded by age-related vascular changes. Multiple linear regression was used to estimate neural responsivity for each individual, namely the capacity to represent visual or semantic information relating to the pictures. We find that the capacity to represent semantic information is linked to higher naming accuracy, a measure of task-specific performance. In mature adults, the capacity to represent semantic information also correlated with higher levels of fluid intelligence, reflecting domain-general performance. In contrast, the latency of visual processing did not relate to measures of cognition. These results indicate that neural responsivity measures relate to naming accuracy and fluid intelligence. We propose that maintaining neural responsivity in older age confers benefits in task-related and domain-general cognitive processes, supporting the brain maintenance view of healthy cognitive ageing.

Replicative cell ageing: the role of insulin resistance in patients with arterial hypertension

The review presents basic information about the processes of replicative cellular and vascular aging. Special attention is paid to the problem of hypertension and insulin resistance. The mechanisms of the onset of insulin resistance and hypertension, their role in the development of major age-related vascular changes, the transformation of vascular aging into disease, and their contribution to life expectancy are discussed. Possible ways of influencing these processes are considered.

Effects of Age on Peripapillary and Macular Vessel Density Determined Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Healthy Eyes.

To evaluate the effect of age on global and sectoral vascular parameters of the peripapillary area and macula in healthy eyes by using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A). This retrospective cross-sectional study included 239 eyes of 172 healthy subjects. Subjects were scanned using the high-definition disc angio scan (4.5 × 4.5 mm), retina angio scan (6 × 6 mm), and optic nerve head/ganglion cell complex (GCC) modes of OCT-A. Global and sectoral circumpapillary vessel density (VD), parafoveal VD, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), and GCC thickness parameters were modeled in terms of age by using linear mixed-effect models incorporating covariates. Normalized slopes were calculated by dividing the absolute slopes by the mean value of the OCT-A parameters. All global and sectoral circumpapillary VDs decreased significantly with increasing age, except for those in the temporal superior sector. The steepest slopes in the circumpapillary region were observed in nasal superior (-0.098%/y) and nasal inferior (-0.096%/y) sectors. The global, temporal, and superior macular VDs also decreased with increasing age, while the foveal, nasal, and inferior parameters did not. The temporal quadrant showed the steepest slope among the macular parameters (-0.068%/y). The RNFL and GCC thickness results showed similar trends. Age substantially affected VD in most of the peripapillary and macular areas; however, the papillomacular bundle area did not show significant age-related vascular changes. These age-related global and sectoral differences in circumpapillary and macular VDs should be considered when assessing pathologic VD changes over time.

Proximity of the Carotid Bifurcation to the Laryngeal Prominence: Results of a Cadaver Study and Recommendations for Safe Pulse Palpation.

The carotid bifurcation (CB) is the location of the carotid sinus and the baroreceptors and is also a major site for atherosclerotic plaque formation. Health care providers have therefore been cautioned to avoid the CB during carotid pulse palpation (CPP) to prevent triggering the baroreflex, occluding an artery, or propagating a thrombus. Potential risks of adverse events during CPP may be greater for older adults due to age-related vascular changes and increased risk of baroreceptor hypersensitivity. The exact location of the CB relative to easily identifiable landmarks has, however, not been well-studied. The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify the location of the CB relative to key landmarks in a cadaver sample and to make recommendations allowing clinicians to avoid the CB during CPP. The CB and other regional landmarks in 17 male and 20 female cadavers were exposed by dissection and pins were placed at all landmarks. Digital calipers were then used to measure the distance between the CB and all landmarks. The mean vertical distance from the laryngeal prominence (LP) to the CB was 25.14 mm for females and 36.13 mm for males. No CBs were located below the LP. Ninety-four percent of female CBs and 100% of male CBs were located above the LP, and 74% of female subjects and 87% of male subjects had CBs greater than 20.00 mm superior to the LP. No clinically relevant relationships were found between the CB and any of the other measured landmarks. Based on this cadaver sample, CPP below the level of the LP in a supine individual would be unlikely to compress the CB and thus unlikely to trigger the baroreflex or occlude the region of greatest atherosclerotic buildup. If a pulse is not palpable below the LP, moving vertically up to 1 cm above the LP in a supine individual would be likely to compress the CB in only a small number of cases.

Ameliorative Effect of Exercise Training on Age-Related Vascular and Biochemical Changes in Rats

AbstractBackground: Physical exercise is suggested as a life style modification to improve the age related patho-physiologic heamodynamic alterations.Aim of Study: The present study was designed to evaluate the possible ameliorating role of aerobic exercise training in improving age associated vascular dysfunction and hemody-namic disturbance.Material and Methods: Thirty male albino rats of local strain were used for this study. Rats were divided into three main groups: The young control (aged 3-4 months, weighing 150-200gm) (n=10), aged sedentary (aged 22-24 months, weighing 300-400gm) (n=10) and aged exercised group (aged 22-24 months, weighing 300-400gm) (n=10). Rats in the aged exercised group practiced moderate intensity treadmill exercise for 5 days/week for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks rats were subjected for rat tail-measurement of SBP. Then, fasting retro-orbital blood samples were collected for measuring serum lipid profile (TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, VLDL-C and TGs) and inflammatory cytokine (TNF-a). Lastly, rats were sacrificed and abdominal aorta was exposed for assessing MNV and RP using Doppler ultrasound.Results: In aged sedentary group, there were significant increase in SBP, RP, serum (TC, LDL-C, HDL-C) and serum TNF-a associated with significant decrement in MNV when compared to the corresponding values in the young control ones. Exercise training for six weeks significantly restored age-related vascular and biochemical changes except for HDL-C and TC there was insignificant diffrence when compared to the corresponding values in aged sedentary group.Conclusion: Regular exercise training in aging has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular functions by accelerating blood flow and decreasing resistance to blood flow, also it has an additive beneficial effect on the associated dyslipidemia and chronic inflammatory state in aging.

Age-Related Vascular Changes Affect Turbulence in Aortic Blood Flow.

Turbulent blood flow is implicated in the pathogenesis of several aortic diseases but the extent and degree of turbulent blood flow in the normal aorta is unknown. We aimed to quantify the extent and degree of turbulece in the normal aorta and to assess whether age impacts the degree of turbulence. 22 young normal males (23.7 ± 3.0 y.o.) and 20 old normal males (70.9 ± 3.5 y.o.) were examined using four dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging (4D Flow MRI) to quantify the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), a measure of the intensity of turbulence, in the aorta. All healthy subjects developed turbulent flow in the aorta, with total TKE of 3–19 mJ. The overall degree of turbulence in the entire aorta was similar between the groups, although the old subjects had about 73% more total TKE in the ascending aorta compared to the young subjects (young = 3.7 ± 1.8 mJ, old = 6.4 ± 2.4 mJ, p < 0.001). This increase in ascending aorta TKE in old subjects was associated with age-related dilation of the ascending aorta which increases the volume available for turbulence development. Conversely, age-related dilation of the descending and abdominal aorta decreased the average flow velocity and suppressed the development of turbulence. In conclusion, turbulent blood flow develops in the aorta of normal subjects and is impacted by age-related geometric changes. Non-invasive assessment enables the determination of normal levels of turbulent flow in the aorta which is a prerequisite for understanding the role of turbulence in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease.