Lung function in mid-life compared with later life is a stronger predictor of arterial stiffness in men: The Caerphilly Prospective Study.

Charlotte E Bolton; John R Cockcroft; Ramsey Sabit; Margaret Munnery; Carmel M McEniery; Ian B Wilkinson; Shah Ebrahim; John E Gallacher; Dennis J Shale; Yoav Ben-Shlomo

Background Increased arterial stiffness predicts future cardiovascular disease and in some cross-sectional studies it is related to worse lung function and obstructive pulmonary disease. We assessed the predictive value of lung function measured in mid-life as compared with later life on arterial stiffness in the Caerphilly Prospective Study (CaPS). Methods Men aged 47–67 years had lung function measured between 1984 and 1988 and repeated between 2002 and 2004 (n = 827) as well as having carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) measured. Results Both forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) in mid-life and later life were inversely associated with PWV (P 1 mid-life β coeff. −0.65, 95% CI −1.04, −0.26, P β coeff. −0.52, 95% CI −0.82, −0.23, P Conclusions Mid-life lung function is a stronger risk factor than in later life for arterial stiffness in men. It is possible that developmental factors influence both lung function and arterial stiffness. Lung function assessment in mid-life may identify individuals at greater risk of their future cardiovascular disease.

PULMONARY function tests; ARTERIAL diseases; OBSTRUCTIVE lung diseases; MIDDLE age

International Journal of Epidemiology, 2009, Vol 38, Issue 3, p867

0300-5771

Academic Journal

10.1093/ije/dyn374