Sedentary behaviour tied to arterial stiffness in older adults

A sedentary behaviour appears to contribute to increased arterial stiffness among older adults, suggests a recent study.

A total of 2,134 individuals aged 18‒100 years were included in this cross-sectional study. The authors assessed sedentary time using the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) using the Complior SP device. They also obtained blood pressure, anthropometric measurements, and physical activity levels.

Participants were stratified into tertiles of sedentary time. The authors conducted linear regressions by sedentary time tertile and compared slopes of cfPWV with age. Finally, the independent association between cfPWV and sedentary time was explored using a general linear model, with adjustments for age, sex, mean arterial pressure, physical activity, and antihypertensive therapy.

The highest tertile of sedentary time (0.075 m/s/year) showed a greater annual increase in cfPWV than the lowest tertile (0.063 m/s/year).

Among participants aged ≥65 years, the highest sedentary time tertile correlated with higher cfPWV (10.4 m/s, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 9.9‒10.8) than the lowest tertile (9.3 m/s, 95 percent CI, 9.3‒10.1) after adjustment. Among those aged <65 years, no significant association was seen.

“These findings underscore the importance of reducing sedentary time, particularly in older adults, to mitigate cardiovascular risk,” the investigators said.