Age-related differences in arterial compliance are independent of body mass index.

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of age on large and small arterial compliance in apparently healthy adults, and to determine whether this effect is independent of body mass index. The subjects consisted of 126 men and women, aged 45 years and above. The subjects rested supine while pulse contour analysis was measured from the radial artery to evaluate large and small arterial compliance. Large (12.0 +/- 4.2 mL/mm Hg x 10, mean +/- standard deviation) and small (3.3 +/- 1.9 mL/mm Hg x 100) arterial compliance were lower in the oldest group (P = .007, P = .002, respectively) compared with the youngest group (15.2 +/- 4.6 mL/mm Hg x 10 and 5.0 +/- 2.5 mL/mm Hg x 100, respectively). After adjusting for body mass index, large and small arterial compliance remained lower in the oldest group. Large and small arterial compliance are decreased with advancing age, independent of body mass index.