RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively assess the progress of cardiovascular aging in the healthy people in North China by non-invasive ways, and to analyze the law of cardiovascular aging. METHODS: 855 healthy people randomly sampled from 3 cities in northern China: Shenyang, Dalian, and Beijing, divided into 4 age groups: < or = 44, 45 - 59, 60 - 74, and > or = 75, underwent interview of the life style and dietary structure, measurement of blood pressure, heart and carotid ultrasonography, blood biochemistry, blood routine, urine routine, and detection of micro-inflammation indexes such as C-reactive protein, fibrinogen (FIB), thrombomodulin, and interleukin-6. Totally 70 items were surveyed. Then the cardiovascular aging assessment equation was constructed and cardiovascular biological aging score (CBAS) was calculated to analyze the law of cardiovascular aging. RESULTS: Seven items including pulse pressure, carotid artery intimal-medial thickness, carotid artery end-diastolic velocity, mitral valve anulus anterior wall A, mitral valve anulus lateral wall E, FIB, total cholesterol were correlated with chronological age significantly (r = 0.63, 0.54, -0.41, 0.45, -0.42, 0.43, and 0.46, all P < 0.01). The CBAS was positively correlated with chronological age (r = 0.85, P < 0.05) with the most rapid change rate in the group aged 45 - 59. CONCLUSION: CAS can be used as an objective index to quantitatively assess the cardiovascular aging. With an acceleration of cardiovascular aging rate after the age 45, the speed of cardiovascular aging in healthy people may be inconstant. The age 45 - 59 may be the key threshold for cardiovascular aging.