Preventive geriatrics the cross-talk between arterial and brain aging: A lifelong condition

Arterial aging - clinically evaluable noninvasively as carotid-femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV), an index of arterial stiffness - has emerged as a risky condition for cardiovascular events and cognitive decline. With advancing age, arterial aging is less and less dependent on blood pressure levels. We propose a life-course approach to the cross-talking between arterial and brain aging aimed at preventing disabling conditions at older ages. This vision is supported by growing evidence that "silent" alteration in large artery as well as in brain structure and function are already detectable at young ages.