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. 2024 Dec 16;38(1):46-54.
doi: 10.1093/ajh/hpae124.

Association Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Trend of Age-Related Rise in Arterial Stiffness in Individuals With and Without Hypertension or Diabetes

Sae Young Jae  1 , Kyung Hyun Lee  2 , Hyun Jeong Kim  1 , Setor K Kunutsor  3   4 , Gary L Pierce  5 , Stanley Sai-Chuen Hui  6 , Mira Kang  2   7
Affiliations

Association Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Trend of Age-Related Rise in Arterial Stiffness in Individuals With and Without Hypertension or Diabetes

Sae Young Jae et al. Am J Hypertens. .

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate whether higher cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) can modify the trend of age-related rise in arterial stiffness in individuals with and without hypertension (HTN) or diabetes.

Methods: The study included 4,935 participants who underwent maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing with respiratory gas analysis in a health screening program. CRF was directly measured using peak oxygen uptake during the cardiopulmonary exercise test, while arterial stiffness was evaluated using brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).

Results: Participants with high CRF levels had significantly lower baPWV compared with those with low CRF levels, regardless of HTN or diabetes status (P < 0.05). The trend of baPWV increased with age, but the rate of age-related increase in baPWV was lower in individuals with moderate-to-high CRF levels compared with those with low CRF levels, regardless of HTN or diabetes status. Joint association analysis indicated that the trend of age-related increase in baPWV was the lowest in fit individuals without HTN or diabetes compared with unfit individuals with HTN or diabetes (P < 0.01). However, the trend of age-related increase in baPWV was not attenuated in fit with HTN or diabetes compared with unfit with HTN or diabetes.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that higher CRF levels may mitigate the trend of age-related rise in arterial stiffness in individuals with and without HTN or diabetes. However, this attenuating trend appears more pronounced in individuals without HTN or diabetes.

Keywords: arterial stiffness; blood pressure; cardiorespiratory fitness; diabetes; hypertension.

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