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Study highlights dramatic increase in vascular disease with advanced age

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Twenty percent of individuals aged 80 to 90 years and 30% aged 90 to 100 years have evidence of vascular disease in at least one arterial territory, according to research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

To determine the relationship between vascular disease and advanced age, researchers analyzed more than 3.4 million self-referred participants (mean age, 64 years) between 2003 and 2008. More than 205,000 participants were aged 81 to 90 years and more than 10,000 were aged 91 to 100 years. Participants completed medical and lifestyle questionnaires, and were evaluated by screening ankle brachial indices for peripheral artery disease and ultrasound imaging for carotid artery stenosis and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

In the total population, the prevalence of PAD was 3.7%; carotid artery stenosis, 3.9%; AAA, 0.9%. The researchers found that prevalence of any vascular disease increased significantly with age:

• 2% in participants aged 40 to 50 years.
• 3.5% in participants aged 51 to 60 years.
• 7.1% in participants aged 61 to 70 years.
• 13% in participants aged 71 to 80 years.
• 22.3% in participants aged 81 to 90 years.
• 32.5% in participants aged 91 to 100 years.

In addition, the prevalence of disease in each vascular territory increased with age.

Following adjustments for sex, race/ethnicity, BMI, smoking, hypertension, physical activity, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and family history of CVD, the odds ratio for PAD was 2.14 (95% CI, 2.12-2.15); carotid artery stenosis, 1.8 (95% CI, 1.79-1.81); and AAA, 2.33 (95% CI, 2.30-2.36). These trends increased with every decade of life.

“In all vascular territories examined, prevalence increased significantly with age, but a trend of progression varied among different vascular disease phenotypes. The high prevalence of peripheral vascular disease illustrates the need to further research potential benefits of screening and treatment in appropriately aged patients,” researchers wrote in the study.

For more information:

Savji N. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013;61:1736-1743.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.