title: Effect of aging on human circulatory system in normotensive healthy subjects.
abstract: Aging is associated with degenerative changes in cardiac and endothelial function (EF). This study was done to assess whether age-related changes take place on EF, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), blood pressure (BP), and echocardiographic measurements. All volunteers were healthy normotensive healthy subjects. They were divided into three groups. Group 1, young adults: < 40 years old; Group 2, middle age: between 40 and 60 years old; Group 3, elderly: > 60 years old. High-frequency vascular ultrasound was used to assess the baseline brachial artery dimension and flow velocity after reactive hyperemia. The carotid IMT and echocardiographic measurements including Doppler variables were recorded in all subjects. Systolic BP, left ventricular mass, and left ventricular end-diastolic volume increased progressively with age (p < 0.001). Left ventricular ejection fraction decreased progressively with age (male, p = 0.034; female, p = 0.001); E/A ratio of the left ventricular flow spectrum declined with age (p < 0.001). The ultrasonic EF variables of flow increased during reactive hyperemia and IMT increased with age (p < 0.001). Our study demonstrates that BP, body weight, and ultrasonic variables changed significantly with age. The aging-associated changes provide insight into progression to atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Gou-Hsin Hospital, Pingtong City, Taiwan ; National Kaohsiung Manine University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan ; An-Fa Institution of Preventive Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan ; These authors contributed equally to this work.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: An-Fa Institution of Preventive Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan ; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yuan's General Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan ; These authors contributed equally to this work.
authors.forename: Shoa-Lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: An-Fa Institution of Preventive Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuei-Liang
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsien-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Tahir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tak
keywords: echocardiography; elderly population; endothelial function; flow-mediated dilation; intima-media thickness; left ventricular mass