Early Vascular Ageing (EVA): Definitions and Clinical Applicability

Abstract

Arterial stiffness has been accumulating evidence as an intermediate cardiovascular endpoint. It has been established as an independent risk marker for cardiovascular disease, and reflects the dissociation between chronologic and biologic age of large arteries-attributing earlier the risk that a normal vascular ageing process had installed to occur several years later. The concept of Early Vascular Ageing (EVA) is developed to establish primordial prevention, identifying individuals whose ageing path has been accelerated either by inherent features, interaction with the environment or arterial exposure to several types of insults that evolve to medial layer morphological changes. Understanding the pathophysiology of vascular ageing, its consequences and therapeutic opportunities is therefore an advantage that could be translated in time of prevention and survival free of cardiovascular disease. As the EVA construct is advancing, new features appear as interesting to better translate it into clinical practice.

Keywords: Arterial stiffness; cardiovascular risk; early vascular ageing; epidemiology; large artery; pulse wave velocity.