Watson, Nora Lynn
(2009)
Longitudinal Relationships of Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease with Physical Function in Older Adults.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Low ankle-arm index (AAI), a marker of peripheral arterial disease, predicts incident disability in older adults. Elevated pulse wave velocity (PWV), a measure of arterial stiffness, increases risk of cardiovascular events and mortality. However, the relationship between PWV and mobility has not been well characterized in older adults. To evaluate the potential local and systemic influences of vascular disease on physical function, we compared the associations of AAI and PWV with usual gait speed over eight years in the Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study. The study population consisted of 2,066 participants (mean age ± SD 73.6 ± 2.8 years, 48.1% men, 37.8% black) with valid PWV, AAI and gait speed data at baseline after exclusion of those with either revascularization or angioplasty of the leg arteries. Random coefficient models were used to evaluate the relationships of both subclinical vascular disease measures with gait speed decline over time. After adjustment for risk factors and comorbidities, each SD higher PWV was associated with a 0.008 m/s slower gait speed over the study period (SE 0.004, p = 0.03). Compared to high-normal AAI (greater than 1.3 - 1.4), low AAI and noncompressible arteries were each associated with slower gait speed over the study period: Beta (SE) = -0.10 (0.03), p less than 0.001 for AAI < 0.7, and Beta (SE) = -0.16 (0.04), p less than 0.001 for noncompressible arteries. The public health relevance of these findings is the potential contribution of subclinical vascular disease, particularly low AAI and noncompressible arteries, to poor physical function in aging.
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Details
Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
Status: |
Unpublished |
Creators/Authors: |
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ETD Committee: |
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Date: |
29 January 2009 |
Date Type: |
Completion |
Defense Date: |
9 December 2008 |
Approval Date: |
29 January 2009 |
Submission Date: |
3 December 2008 |
Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
Schools and Programs: |
School of Public Health > Biostatistics |
Degree: |
MS - Master of Science |
Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
Refereed: |
Yes |
Uncontrolled Keywords: |
physical function; aging; vascular disease |
Other ID: |
http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-12032008-163300/, etd-12032008-163300 |
Date Deposited: |
10 Nov 2011 20:07 |
Last Modified: |
15 Nov 2016 13:52 |
URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/9997 |
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