Vascular Aging and Arterial Stiffness in Older Adults

Vascular Function and Frailty in Community-Dwelling Older Individuals

Background

Frailty is a condition characterized by a state of reduced physiological reserve and increased vulnerability to stressors. Frail individuals have a higher likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the mechanisms underlying the association between frailty and CVD remain unclear.

Objectives

This study investigated whether frailty is associated with vascular function in community-dwelling older individuals.

Material and Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 92 community-dwelling individuals aged ≥ 65 years, including 30 non-frail, 43 pre-frail, 19 frail individuals. Vascular function was assessed by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV, measuring arterial stiffness) and flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery (FMD, measuring endothelial function).

Results

The PWV was significantly higher in both pre-frail and frail groups than in the non-frail group (non-frail: 1615.7 ± 209.9 cm/s vs. pre-frail: 1815.2 ± 265.0 cm/s vs. frail: 1829.9 ± 256.0 cm/s, respectively, p = 0.003). The FMD was significantly lower in both pre-frail and frail groups than in the non-frail group (non-frail: 5.1 ± 2.1% vs. pre-frail: 3.4 ± 1.3% vs. frail: 3.1 ± 1.2% cm/s, respectively, p = 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that pre-frail and frail group were associated with arterial stiffness (OR, 2.92; 95% CI, 1.01–8.42; OR, 3.56; 95% CI, 0.85–14.91) and endothelial dysfunction (OR, 2.17; 95% CI, 0.41–3.09; OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 0.31–6.97).

Conclusions

Thus, pre-frailty and frailty are associated with impaired vascular function in community-dwelling older adults, even when adjusting for confounding factors. These findings may help to prevent the potential consequences between CVD and frailty in community-dwelling older individuals.