Abstract
BACKGROUND: We identified demographic variables, cardiovascular risk factors, and ambulatory activity measures that predict large and small artery elasticity in apparently healthy subjects between 9 and 89 years of age. METHODS: A total of 480 subjects were assessed on large artery elasticity index (LAEI), small artery elasticity index (SAEI), demographic measures, cardiovascular risk factors, and daily ambulation during 7 consecutive days. All possible regression and Mallow's C(p) were used to select multivariate models for prediction of LAEI and SAEI. RESULTS: In subjects 20 years of age and younger, LAEI model (R(2) = 0.25, P < 0.001) included age, average ambulatory cadence, and obesity. SAEI model (R(2) = 0.39, P < 0.001) contained body mass index (BMI), maximum daily ambulatory cadence for 30 continuous min, age, and total ambulatory strides. In subjects between 21 and 50 years, LAEI model (R(2) = 0.41, P < 0.001) included systolic blood pressure (SBP), gender, race, and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). SAEI model (R(2) = 0.42, P < 0.001) contained gender, BMI, DBP, race, dyslipidemia, and SBP. In subjects older than 50 years, LAEI model (R(2) = 0.54, P < 0.001) included SBP, gender, age, and BMI. SAEI model (R(2) = 0.45, P < 0.001) contained gender, age, BMI, DBP, current smoking, and SBP. CONCLUSIONS: Daily ambulatory activity, particularly cadence of 30 continuous min of ambulation, is positively associated with arterial elasticity in children and adolescents. In contrast, the predominant factors related to the decline in arterial elasticity in adults are blood pressure and age.