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Cardiovascular health and arterial stiffness: the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 28, pages 444–449 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

Ideal cardiovascular health is a recently defined construct by the American Heart Association (AHA) to promote cardiovascular disease reduction. Arterial stiffness is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The extent to which the presence of multiple prevalent cardiovascular risk factors and health behaviors is associated with arterial stiffness is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the AHA construct of cardiovascular health and arterial stiffness, as indexed by pulse wave velocity (PWV) and pulse pressure. The AHA health metrics, comprising of four health behaviors (smoking, body mass index, physical activity and diet) and three health factors (total cholesterol, blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose), were evaluated among 505 participants in the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study. Outcome measures were carotid–femoral PWV and pulse pressure measured at 4- to 5-year follow-up. Better cardiovascular health, comprising both health factors and behaviors, was associated with lower arterial stiffness, as indexed by PWV and pulse pressure. Those with at least five health metrics at ideal levels had significantly lower PWV (9.8 m s−1) than those with two or less ideal health metrics (11.7 m s−1) (P<0.001). This finding remained with the addition of demographic and PWV-related variables (P=0.004).

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Acknowledgements

The MSLS was supported by Grants R01HL067358 and R01HL081290 from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health (USA), and Research Grant R01AG03055 from the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health (USA). GEC is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Sidney Sax Research Fellowship (GNT1054567) (Australia).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutritional Physiology Research Centre, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    G E Crichton

  2. Centre de Recherche Public Santé, Centre d’Etudes en Santé, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, Strassen, Luxembourg

    G E Crichton

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA

    M F Elias & M A Robbins

  4. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA

    M F Elias & M A Robbins

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  1. G E Crichton
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  3. M A Robbins
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Correspondence to G E Crichton.

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Supplementary Information accompanies this paper on the Journal of Human Hypertension website

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Crichton, G., Elias, M. & Robbins, M. Cardiovascular health and arterial stiffness: the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study. J Hum Hypertens 28, 444–449 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2013.131

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