Buscemi Carola, Randazzo Cristiana, Barile Anna Maria, Caruso Roberta, Colombrita Piero, Lombardo Martina, Verde Piergiorgio Lo, Sottile Natalia, Barbagallo Mario, Buscemi Silvio
Unit of Internal Medicine, "V. Cervello Hospital", Palermo, Italy; Dipartimento di Promozione della Salute, Materno-Infantile, Medicina Interna e Specialistica di Eccellenza (PROMISE), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
Dipartimento di Promozione della Salute, Materno-Infantile, Medicina Interna e Specialistica di Eccellenza (PROMISE), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; Unit of Clinical Nutrition, Obesity and Metabolic Diseases, University Hospital Policlinico "P. Giaccone", Palermo, Italy.
Exp Gerontol. 2024 Jul;192:112457. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2024.112457. Epub 2024 May 9.
Endothelial function declines with age and plays a critical role in cardiovascular health. Therefore, investigating endothelial function in successful aging models, such as centenarians, is of interest. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery is the gold standard for measuring endothelial function in vivo in humans. Therefore, we investigated, for the first time, the FMD of the brachial artery in a group of healthy centenarians.
Selected as part of the ABCD project (nutrition, cardiovascular wellness, and diabetes) centenarians (aged ≥100 years) living in the municipalities of Madonie (Palermo, Italy) were compared with a younger (aged <65 years) sex-matched control group from the ABCD general cohort. FMD of the brachial artery was measured in all participants using a real-time computed video analysis system for B-mode ultrasound images. Body composition (bioimpedance), carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and ankle-brachial index (ABI) were also measured.
Eleven participants (males 36.4 %; age: 101 ± 1 years) out of 28 healthy centenarians successfully cooperated with the FMD test procedures, which require remaining with the upper limb immobile for approximately 10 min. This subgroup was compared with a control group of 76 healthy and younger individuals (males 36.8 %; aged: 41 ± 14 years; P < 0.001). Centenarians exhibited better endothelial function than the control group (FMD: 12.1 ± 4.3 vs 8.6 ± 5.3 %; P < 0.05). The carotid IMT was higher in the centenarian group than in the control group (0.89 ± 0.09 vs 0.56 ± 0.18 mm; P < 0.001), whereas the ABI was comparable between the two groups.
This small group of centenarians demonstrated an unusually favorable endothelial function, which may contribute to their unique aging profile. Further research is needed to determine whether FMD is a valid prognostic marker for successful aging.
内皮功能随年龄增长而下降，且在心血管健康中起关键作用。因此，在诸如百岁老人等成功衰老模型中研究内皮功能很有意义。肱动脉血流介导的扩张（FMD）是在人体体内测量内皮功能的金标准。因此，我们首次对一组健康百岁老人的肱动脉FMD进行了研究。
作为ABCD项目（营养、心血管健康和糖尿病）的一部分，选取居住在马多尼（意大利巴勒莫）市的百岁老人（年龄≥100岁），并与来自ABCD总体队列的年龄较小（年龄<65岁）且性别匹配的对照组进行比较。使用用于B模式超声图像的实时计算机视频分析系统测量所有参与者的肱动脉FMD。还测量了身体成分（生物电阻抗）、颈动脉内膜中层厚度（IMT）和踝臂指数（ABI）。
28名健康百岁老人中有11名参与者（男性占36.4%；年龄：101±1岁）成功配合了FMD测试程序，该程序要求上肢保持不动约10分钟。将该亚组与76名健康年轻个体的对照组（男性占36.8%；年龄：41±14岁；P<0.001）进行比较。百岁老人的内皮功能优于对照组（FMD：12.1±4.3对8.6±5.3%；P<0.05）。百岁老人组的颈动脉IMT高于对照组（0.89±0.09对0.56±0.18毫米；P<0.001），而两组之间的ABI相当。
这一小群百岁老人表现出异常良好的内皮功能，这可能有助于他们独特的衰老特征。需要进一步研究以确定FMD是否是成功衰老的有效预后标志物。
