Abstract
Background Life-style diseases are aging diseases that increase with age and result in vascular impairment. This study is an attempt to know vascular aging.
Methods Waveforms were examined based on a hypothesis that the waveform's change with age in acceleration plethysmography (APG), which is the second derivative of the optical digital plethysomography, is due to a change in elasticity of the artery.“Waveform Indexes”to evaluate waveforms and“Aging Scores”for evaluating the vascular aging status were proposed in this study. This Score Method was examined in how“Aging Scores”relate to the progress of arteriosclerosis expressed as hypertension and sclerotic changes in the eye bottom (Fundus Oculi) . 1, 784 people were chosen (1, 055 men and 729 women: ages were from 20 to 84) for the subjects.
Results Both“Waveform Index [1] & [2] ”showed a clear decrease with age. Both“Aging score [1] & [2] ”were significantly correlated to arteriosclerosis. Among subjects aged 40-59, either men or women, the risk of hypertension or arteriosclerosis in the high aging score [1] group (score [1] >= 60) became around 2-4 times. Even for over 60 year-old people, high scored women's risk of hypertension was 3.8 times. The contribution of“Aging Score [2] ”was less. The risk for hypertension or sclerotic changes in eye bottom in the high score [2] group (score [2] >= 60) was about 2-4 times and seen only in men ages 40-49.
Conclusion The proposed“Aging Score”in this study would have the validity of evaluating vascular aging. It is expected that APG gives a major advantage to health care by delivering“Vascular Aging Scores”that indicates how our vessels age for our chronological age.
