Perceived age of facial features is a significant diagnosis criterion for age-related carotid atherosclerosis in Japanese subjects: J-SHIPP study.
OBJECTIVE
Vascular aging is known to be a major determinant of life expectancy. Recently, perceived age was reported to be a better predictor for mortality than chronological age. Based on these findings, we investigated whether or not perceived age was related to atherosclerosis in a general population.


METHODS
The participants were 273 individuals aged ≥ 50 years who participated in the Skin-doc in Anti-Aging Doc program. Facial photos were taken under a shadowless lamp from three directions (antero-posterior, and 60° right and left oblique projection) using a high-resolution digital camera. Perceived age was assessed either by 19 professional nurses in the geriatric ward or using facial identification program software. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), radial augmentation index (AI) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were measured as indices for atherosclerosis.


RESULTS
The perceived age difference (expressed as the difference between perceived age and chronological age), when estimated either by nurses or software, was significantly and negatively associated with chronological age. Subjects who were evaluated by nurses to be younger than their chronological age had significantly lower carotid IMT after adjustment for chronological age. Conversely, carotid IMT was an independent and negative determinant of looking young, as perceived by nurses. Similar observations were also made between perceived age using facial identification software and carotid IMT. Radial AI and baPWV were not associated with perceived age.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings show that carotid atherosclerosis is related to perceived age. This association might underlie previous findings showing that perceived age predicts life expectancy.
Department of Geriatric Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan.
Miwako
M
Kido
Katsuhiko
K
Kohara
Saori
S
Miyawaki
Yasuharu
Y
Tabara
Michiya
M
Igase
Tetsuro
T
Miki
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019066:Facies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010781:Photography; D012307:Risk Factors; D015595:Skin Aging; D012984:Software; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014463:Ultrasonography