title: A Cross-Sectional Study of Ageing and Cardiovascular Function over the Baboon Lifespan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ageing is associated with changes at the molecular and cellular level that can alter cardiovascular function and ultimately lead to disease. The baboon is an ideal model for studying ageing due to the similarities in genetic, anatomical, physiological and biochemical characteristics with humans. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the changes in cardiovascular profile of baboons over the course of their lifespan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from 109 healthy baboons (Papio hamadryas) at the Australian National Baboon Colony. A linear regression model, adjusting for sex, was used to analyse the association between age and markers of ageing with P < 0.01 considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Male (n = 49, 1.5-28.5 years) and female (n = 60, 1.8-24.6 years) baboons were included in the study. Age was significantly correlated with systolic (R2 = 0.23, P < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (R2 = 0.44, P < 0.001), with blood pressure increasing with age. Age was also highly correlated with core augmentation index (R2 = 0.17, P < 0.001) and core pulse pressure (R2 = 0.30, P < 0.001). Creatinine and urea were significantly higher in older animals compared to young animals (P < 0.001 for both). Older animals (>12 years) had significantly shorter telomeres when compared to younger (<3 years) baboons (P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to demonstrate that cardiovascular function alters with age in the baboon. This research identifies similarities within cardiovascular parameters between humans and baboon even though the length of life differs between the two species.
authors.affiliation: Western Sydney University, School of Medicine, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Kristen R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Yeung
authors.affiliation: Western Sydney University, School of Medicine, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Christine L
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0917-757X
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Renal Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pears
authors.affiliation: Department of Renal Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Scott J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Heffernan
authors.affiliation: Western Sydney University, School of Medicine, Sydney, Australia.|The Heart Research Institute, Sydney, Australia.|Nephrology Department, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Makris
authors.affiliation: Western Sydney University, School of Medicine, Sydney, Australia.|The Heart Research Institute, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Annemarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hennessy
authors.affiliation: Western Sydney University, School of Medicine, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Joanne M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lind
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010215:Papio / Q000502:physiology*; D016615:Telomere / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014508:Urea; D003404:Creatinine