Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Jan;45(1):48-53.
doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.113.002649. Epub 2013 Nov 19.

Longitudinal effects of a decade of aging on carotid artery stiffness: the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis

Adam D Gepner  1 , Claudia E Korcarz, Laura A Colangelo, Elizabeth K Hom, Matthew C Tattersall, Brad C Astor, Joel D Kaufman, Kiang Liu, James H Stein
Affiliations

Longitudinal effects of a decade of aging on carotid artery stiffness: the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis

Adam D Gepner et al. Stroke. 2014 Jan.

Abstract

Background and purpose: Arterial stiffening is associated with hypertension, stroke, and cognitive decline; however, the effects of aging and cardiovascular disease risk factors on carotid artery stiffening have not been assessed prospectively in a large multiethnic longitudinal study.

Methods: Distensibility coefficient and the Young's elastic modulus (YEM) of the right common carotid artery were calculated at baseline and after a mean of 9.4 (standard deviation [SD], 0.5) years in 2650 participants. Effects of age and cardiovascular disease risk factors were evaluated by multivariable mixed regression and ANCOVA models.

Results: At baseline, participants were 59.9 (SD, 9.4) years old (53% women; 25% black, 22% Hispanic, 14% Chinese). YEM increased from 1581 (SD, 927) to 1749 (SD, 1306) mm Hg (P<0.0001), and distensibility coefficient decreased from 3.1 (SD, 1.3) to 2.7 (SD, 1.1)×10(-3) mm Hg(-1) (P<0.001), indicating progressive arterial stiffening. YEM increased more among participants who were aged>75 years old at baseline (P<0.0001). In multivariable analyses, older age and less education independently predicted worsening YEM and distensibility coefficient. Stopping antihypertensive medication during the study period predicted more severe worsening of YEM (β=360.2 mm Hg; P=0.008). Starting antihypertensive medication after examination 1 was predictive of improvements in distensibility coefficient (β=1.1×10(-4) mm Hg(-1); P=0.024).

Conclusions: Arterial stiffening accelerates with advanced age. Older individuals experience greater increases in YEM than do younger adults, even after considering the effects of traditional risk factors. Treating hypertension may slow the progressive decline in carotid artery distensibility observed with aging and improve cerebrovascular health.

Keywords: aging; carotid arteries; elasticity; hypertension.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Change in Young’s Elastic Modulus from Baseline to Exam 5
*p<0.0001 for change from baseline compared to all other age groups
Figure 2
Figure 2
Change in Distensibility Coefficient from Baseline to Exam 5
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Yang EY, Chambless L, Sharrett AR, Virani SS, Liu X, Tang Z, et al. Carotid arterial wall characteristics are associated with incident ischemic stroke but not coronary heart disease in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Stroke. 2012;43:103–108. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Vaidya D, Heckbert SR, Wasserman BA, Ouyang P. Sex-specific association of age with carotid artery distensibility: multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2012;21:516–520. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sharrett AR, Ding J, Criqui MH, Saad MF, Liu K, Polak JF, et al. Smoking, diabetes, and blood cholesterol differ in their associations with subclinical atherosclerosis: the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Atherosclerosis. 2006;186:441–447. - PubMed
    1. Zeki AH, Newman AB, Simonsick E, Sink KM, Sutton TK, Watson N, et al. Pulse wave velocity and cognitive decline in elders: the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study. Stroke. 2013;44:388–393. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Safar ME. Systolic hypertension in the elderly: arterial wall mechanical properties and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. J Hypertens. 2005;23:673–681. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms