Work

Early vascular aging construct and hypertension status in healthy adults: the mediator role of body shape index

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Body shape index (ABSI) has been shown to be a predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality. However, its specific role as a mediator between early vascular aging (EVA) and hypertension in apparently healthy adults has not yet been investigated. Thus, the aims were to analyse the relationship between EVA construct and ABSI and hypertension status in a healthy adult population, and to examine whether the association between EVA construct and hypertension status is mediated by the ABSI. METHODS AND RESULTS: A cross-sectional analysis was performed on data from the EVasCu study. Partial correlation coefficients were estimated controlling for age to examine the relationship between EVA construct and ABSI score and hypertension status. Post hoc pairwise hypotheses were tested using a Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. ANCOVA models were used to test for mean differences in hypertension status. Mediation analyses were performed to examine whether the ABSI mediated the association between EVA construct and hypertension status. A total of 390 healthy adults (mean age 42.02 ± 13.14 years, 63.08 % female) were included in the analysis. EVA construct and ABSI were significantly correlated with hypertension status. Adults included in the optimal category of hypertension status had lower ABSI and EVA construct values than those in the normal and hypertension categories. In the mediation analyses, there was a significant indirect effect of ABSI on the relationship between EVA construct and hypertension status. CONCLUSIONS: Healthy adults with optimal hypertension status showed lower levels of EVA construct, and the ABSI mediated this relationship.

Source: Nutrition Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases

DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2025.104098