The Age of Your Blood Vessels Reveals Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

We all know someone who never seems to age. But did you know that this phenomenon is not only visible on the outside, but also inside our blood vessels? This process of biological ageing caught the attention of PhD researcher Ernest Diez Benavente from the Department of Experimental Cardiology at UMC Utrecht. His new research shows that the biological age of our blood vessels plays an important role in the development of future cardiovascular disease.

Our chronological age refers to the number of years we have lived. Our biological age reflects how old our body functions physiologically. The biological age of blood vessels can differ significantly from a person’s chronological age. By studying changes in DNA, researchers are able to measure how quickly blood vessels are ageing.

Researcher Ernest Diez Benavente investigated the biological age of plaques in calcified arteries. These plaques are accumulations of fat and other substances within the arteries.

He explains: “In our study, we measured ageing in calcified arteries from patients undergoing surgery to remove these so-called plaques. We discovered that this ageing process influences how well the heart and blood vessels will function in the future.”

Revealing Hidden Health Risks

The researchers discovered that when the biological age of plaques in the blood vessels increases faster than a person’s actual age, it is a strong indicator of future heart problems.

In the study, patients with more rapidly ageing arteries experienced worse outcomes after surgery than patients with younger, healthier blood vessels. For example, they were more likely to suffer strokes or heart attacks following surgery.

Sex, Diabetes, and Obesity Influence the Age of Your Blood Vessels

One striking finding was the difference between men and women. Women’s blood vessels were biologically approximately two years younger than those of men. This may help explain why cardiovascular disease often presents with a different risk profile in women compared with men.

For people with diabetes or obesity, the study highlights the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The results showed that patients with diabetes and a high body weight had biologically significantly older blood vessels than patients without these characteristics.

Taking better care of the body — through regular exercise and healthy eating, for example — may help slow the biological ageing of blood vessels and thereby reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular problems.

Looking Ahead

“This breakthrough means that in the future we may be able to better predict who is at increased risk of heart problems and why,” says Ernest Diez Benavente.

“This could lead to personalized treatments specifically aimed at slowing the biological ageing of blood vessels, thereby reducing the risk of further complications and cardiovascular disease.”

The researchers are already working on follow-up studies to further explore these findings.

Would you like to learn more? Read the full article in ATVB.