Arterial stiffness, not systolic blood pressure, increases with age in native Papuan populations

Abstract

Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and arterial stiffness are closely related and may behave reciprocally as cause or effect, interacting in a vicious cycle. Both SBP and arterial stiffness increase with age in populations in most developed countries. However, the age-related increase in SBP appears to be absent in indigenous populations, partially because of their lifelong low-sodium and high-potassium diets, whereas age-related arterial stiffening in these populations remains to be determined. We performed a field survey of the indigenous population of Soroba, a small village located in the central highlands of Papua, Indonesia. Blood pressure levels and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were measured using an automatic device. A total of 125 native Papuans 16-75 years of age (59% women) were included in this study. SBP and pulse pressure were not correlated with age. However, diastolic and mean arterial pressure levels increased with age. The prevalence of hypertension was 5% (n = 6; all women), and baPWV significantly increased with age. Compared with participants 45 years of age and older, those younger than 45 years had a higher body mass index (BMI) and spot urine sodium-to-potassium ratio but lower baPWV; however, SBP was not different between these age groups. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that SBP was independently associated with baPWV, sex and BMI but not with age; baPWV was independently associated with SBP, age, BMI, sex and heart rate. SBP and baPWV were closely related, but the age-related changes in these measurements differed in this highland Papuan population.

Factors Associated with Brachial-Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity in an Apparently Healthy Chinese Population

“…Our study demonstrated that a higher BP is a contributing factor to arterial stiffness, even when it is within the normal range, and the effect of SBP on baPWV was more prominent than that of PP. The association between BP and arterial stiffness has been debated in various studies [ 11 , 13 , 26 , 27 , 31 , 32 ]. Longitudinal studies have shown that a large PP in childhood plays a role in the development of subclinical vascular damage in adulthood, and the early prevention of a large PP can reduce the future risk of cardiovascular disease [ 14 ].…”

The Effect of Illicit Drugs on Arterial Stiffness in Young and Middle-Aged Illicit Drug Users: A Population-Based Study in China

“…These results in disorganized microarchitecture, decreased vessel wall compliance and elasticity, and increased arterial stiffness (Tomiyama et al, 2003). Individuals more than 45 years old are more susceptible to arterial stiffness (Ishida et al, 2018). In addition, metabolic problems and a sedentary lifestyle also are critical factors affecting the arterial stiffness process (Satoh et al, 2009;Garcia-Hermoso et al, 2015).…”

“…The results showed that the prevalence of abnormal baPWV was not significantly different between male and female illicit drug users (χ 2 = 3.76, p > 0.05) (Table A2 in the Appendix). It has been reported that peripheral vascular resistance increases and arterial elasticity decreases with age, which results in a higher prevalence of abnormal baPWV in the elderly population (Ishida et al, 2018 to the age composition of the illicit drug users, the cases were divided into three groups.…”

Inflammation, Nitro-Oxidative Stress, Impaired Autophagy, and Insulin Resistance as a Mechanistic Convergence Between Arterial Stiffness and Alzheimer’s Disease

“…Epidemiological research clearly indicates that chronological aging is the main determinant of arterial stiffness (Ishida et al, 2018;Namba et al, 2019). Aging is a ubiquitous complex phenomenon caused by a subtle blend of (epi)genetic alterations and individualized lifestyle factors (LaRocca et al, 2017;Morris et al, 2019;Wahl et al, 2019;Zhang et al, 2020b).…”