OBJECTIVES: To determine the measure of vascular compliance most closely re
lated to age. DESIGN: A review of 22 studies relating aortic compliance to
age and a discussion of other factors related to vascular compliance.
MEASUREMENTS: Aortic compliance, elastic modulus, postmortem aortic changes
, pulse wave velocity in the aorta, common carotid, lower limb and upper li
mb.
RESULTS: 1. Aortic compliance and carotid artery compliance is closely rela
ted to age; 2. Compliance in the peripheral arteries, in 16 reports, appear
s less closely related to age; 3. There is evidence that aortic compliance
is related to hypertension, cardiac function, and left ventricular hypertro
phy and can be increased by exercise, hormonal therapy, antioxidant and ant
ihypertensive treatment; and 4. Vascular compliance is more closely related
to chronological age than other measures such as skin inelasticity, greyin
g of hair, baldness etc.
CONCLUSIONS: Because of the close relationship between aortic and carotid c
ompliance and chronological age, deviation from the age-predicted norm (bio
logical age) may prove to be a good predictor of cardiovascular pathology.