Associação dos fatores de risco cardiovascular com indicadores de rigidez da parede arterial em indivíduos muito idosos

Abstract

Introduction: vascular aging and some markers of arterial stiffness have a nonlinear relationship. Increases in pulse wave velocity attenuate after the sixth decade of life. Some cardiovascular risk factors such as central and peripheral hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking and diabetes are classically described as contributors to arterial stiffening. Objective: to analyze the association of cardiovascular risk factors with indicators of arterial wall stiffness in very elderly individuals. Methods: we analyzed 1192 individuals, age ≥ 60 years old, in a cross sectional study. We grouped all the patients according to the presence/absence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. They were divided into 3 subgroups according to the age groups, grupo 1 (G1): from 60 to 69 years; grupo 2 (G2): 70 to 79 years and grupo 3 (G3): 80 years of age or older. Through applanation tonometry, we obtained the values of the central pressures, pulse wave velocity and aortic augmentation index. Results: the values of pulse wave velocity were: 8.8 ± 0.08 m/s (G1); 9.9 ± 0.14 m/s (G2); 10.1 ± 0.24 m/s (G3); P< 0.294 (G2 vs G3). The values of augmentation index were: 33.1 ± 0.62 % (G1); 33.1 ± 0.88% (G2); 35.9 ± 1.53% (G3); P >0.05. The multivariate analysis showed no correlations with cardiovascular risk factors for patients over 80 years old. Conclusion: the relationship between traditional cardiovascular risk factors and cfPWV existed to some extent in patients under the age of 80 but not so in very elderly patients.