title: Evidence for accelerated vascular aging in bipolar disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Persons with bipolar disorder face excess risk of cardiovascular disease, although the biobehavioral mechanisms and time course are unclear. We measured vascular stiffness in a cross-sectional sample of participants with bipolar disorder and compared results to published normative data to assess time-course and relationship to behavioral risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  62 individuals with bipolar disorder (33±6.7years; 64% female) underwent non-invasive assessment of arterial stiffness through arterial applanation tonometry. Lifetime tobacco exposure was estimated on clinical interview. Physical activity was assessed using the long-version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). A food frequency questionnaire was used to compute Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), a measure of overall dietary quality. Medication histories were systematically abstracted from pharmacy records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants over the age of 32 (median split) had greater arterial stiffness than expected from age-based population norms for pulse wave velocity (PWV) (7.6 vs. 7.0m/s, p=.02) and estimated aortic augmentation pressure (AIx) (14.2 vs. 8.2%, p=.0002). The younger portion of the sample did not differ from population norms on these measures (PWV 6.3 vs. 6.4m/s, p=.45 and AIx 7.6 vs. 7.4%, p=.60). In the older half of the sample, physical activity was inversely associated with AIx and poorer diet marginally associated with PWV. These findings were independent of body mass index (BMI), which was strongly related to arterial stiffness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Risk for vascular disease may be acquired over the long-term course of affective illness. This risk appears to reflect maladaptive health behaviors, which may be amenable to intervention.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242-1057, United States.
authors: Simrit K
authors: SK
authors: Sodhi
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Linder
authors: Catherine A
authors: CA
authors: Chenard
authors: Del D
authors: del D
authors: Miller
authors: William G
authors: WG
authors: Haynes
authors: Jess G
authors: JG
authors: Fiedorowicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D059289:Vascular Stiffness; D055815:Young Adult