Pre-Frailty Phenotype and Arterial Stiffness in Older Adults Free of Cardiovascular Diseases

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2022-10, Vol.19 (20), p.13469
• Main Authors: Macêdo, Geovani Araújo Dantas, Freire, Yuri Alberto, Browne, Rodrigo Alberto Vieira, Câmara, Marcyo, Cabral, Ludmila Lucena Pereira, Schwade, Daniel, Paulo-Pereira, Ronildo, Silva, Raíssa de Melo, Silva, Alana Monteiro Bispo, Farias-Junior, Luiz Fernando, Duhamel, Todd A, Costa, Eduardo Caldas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; Aged; Aorta; Blood pressure; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Criteria; Cross-Sectional Studies; Epidemiology; Exercise; Female; Frail Elderly; Frailty; Frailty - diagnosis; Frailty - epidemiology; Genotype & phenotype; Geriatric Assessment; Humans; Independent Living; Investigations; Male; Mathematical models; Mortality; Muscles; Older people; Phenotype; Phenotypes; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Pulse Wave Analysis; Self report; Statistical models; Stiffness; Vascular Stiffness; Vein & artery diseases; Velocity; Wave velocity; Weight loss
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013469

Arterial stiffness is a subclinical marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The pre-frailty phenotype is associated with a higher risk for CVD. This study investigated the association between the pre-frailty phenotype and arterial stiffness in community-dwelling older adults without diagnosed CVD. In total, 249 community-dwelling older adults aged 60-80 years were included in this cross-sectional study. The pre-frailty phenotype was defined by the standardized Fried criteria (muscle weakness; slow walking speed; low physical activity; unintentional weight loss; self-reported exhaustion). Participants with one or two standardized Fried criteria were classified as pre-frail and those with zero criteria as robust. Arterial stiffness was measured by aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV). The data were analyzed using the generalized linear model. From 249 participants (66.1 ± 5.3 years; 79.5% females), 61.8% ( = 154) were pre-frail and 38.2% ( = 95) robust. Pre-frail older adults had a higher aPWV (β = 0.19 m/s; = 0.007) compared to their robust peers. The pre-frailty phenotype was associated with higher arterial stiffness in community-dwelling older adults aged 60-80 years. Pre-frail older adults may have a higher risk for CVD.