HOUSTON: Stiffening of the arteries usually related to aging can be detected in early adulthood using a method known as pulse wave velocity, according to a new study. Alongside a lack of physical activity, stresses such as perceived racism were also associated with stiffening of the arteries of the 21-23 year-olds who took part in the multi-ethnic study.
Arterial stiffness, measured as aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV), has become a useful indicator of cardiovascular risk. However, few studies have investigated its development over time, particularly in young adults and ethnic minority populations. As arterial stiffening develops over the course of one’s life, detecting factors that determine its progression should be useful in delaying or preventing a decline in arterial health.
The study tested how factors measured twice previously in childhood in the Determinants of Adolescent, now young Adult, Social wellbeing and Health (DASH) study, particularly body size and blood pressure, affected the emergence of aortic stiffness in young adults…