Arterial stiffness in former elderly smokers is associated with aging and smoking but not airflow limitation: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Although the arteriosclerosis locally assessed by carotid intima-media thickness develops with COPD, it has not been elucidated whether systemic arteriosclerosis assessed by cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) develops in individuals with COPD, particularly in elderly subjects. Me...

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Main Authors: Shohei Kawachi, Keisaku Fujimoto
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-07-01
Series:The Egyptian Journal of Bronchology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s43168-025-00438-7
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author Shohei Kawachi
Keisaku Fujimoto
author_facet Shohei Kawachi
Keisaku Fujimoto
author_sort Shohei Kawachi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Although the arteriosclerosis locally assessed by carotid intima-media thickness develops with COPD, it has not been elucidated whether systemic arteriosclerosis assessed by cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) develops in individuals with COPD, particularly in elderly subjects. Methods This study is a multicenter cross-sectional study. Outpatients and their families who had ever smoked and outpatients and their families who had never smoked were included in three hospitals. Healthy subjects were additionally recruited in an event to check their health. The subjects performed spirometry and CAVI measurements. Based on spirometry and smoking history, the subjects were divided into three groups: never-smokers with normal spirometry (NS), past-smokers with NS, and past-smokers with airflow limitation (AL). Logistic regression analysis was performed with CAVI as objective variables and with the factors related to arteriosclerosis as the explanatory variables by binarizing each variable. Single regression analysis and comparisons between groups were also performed. Results As a result, 83 never-smokers with NS, 49 past-smokers with NS, and 64 past-smokers with AL were included with a mean (SD) age of 73.3 (10.8). Logistic regression analysis showed that higher age (≥ 75) and pack-years (≥ 20) were significantly associated with higher CAVI (a cutoff of ≥ 9) (odds ratio = 8.9 and 2.9, respectively; p < 0.01). CAVI was significantly correlated with age, pack-year, and %FEV1 (age, r = 0.54, p < 0.01; pack-years, r = 0.35, p < 0.01%; FEV1, r = − 0.28, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in CAVI between past-smokers with NS and past-smokers with AL after adjusting for age, pack-years, and BMI. Conclusion This study newly suggests that systemic arteriosclerosis may be strongly associated with age and smoking history rather than airflow limitation in elderly subjects. Ethics and dissemination All subjects were given an adequate explanation of the study and provided written informed consent to participation. This study was conducted after obtaining approval from the Shinshu University of Medical Ethics Committee (approval number: 3767). Trial registration Shohei Kawachi, UMIN000048909, 1 October 2022 (retrospectively registered).
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spelling doaj-art-3c878b92cb0c41629a88f23a80ce466c2025-08-20T03:04:35ZengSpringerOpenThe Egyptian Journal of Bronchology2314-85512025-07-011911910.1186/s43168-025-00438-7Arterial stiffness in former elderly smokers is associated with aging and smoking but not airflow limitation: a cross-sectional studyShohei Kawachi0Keisaku Fujimoto1Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Shinshu UniversityDepartment of General Internal Medicine, Omachi Municipal General HospitalAbstract Background Although the arteriosclerosis locally assessed by carotid intima-media thickness develops with COPD, it has not been elucidated whether systemic arteriosclerosis assessed by cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) develops in individuals with COPD, particularly in elderly subjects. Methods This study is a multicenter cross-sectional study. Outpatients and their families who had ever smoked and outpatients and their families who had never smoked were included in three hospitals. Healthy subjects were additionally recruited in an event to check their health. The subjects performed spirometry and CAVI measurements. Based on spirometry and smoking history, the subjects were divided into three groups: never-smokers with normal spirometry (NS), past-smokers with NS, and past-smokers with airflow limitation (AL). Logistic regression analysis was performed with CAVI as objective variables and with the factors related to arteriosclerosis as the explanatory variables by binarizing each variable. Single regression analysis and comparisons between groups were also performed. Results As a result, 83 never-smokers with NS, 49 past-smokers with NS, and 64 past-smokers with AL were included with a mean (SD) age of 73.3 (10.8). Logistic regression analysis showed that higher age (≥ 75) and pack-years (≥ 20) were significantly associated with higher CAVI (a cutoff of ≥ 9) (odds ratio = 8.9 and 2.9, respectively; p < 0.01). CAVI was significantly correlated with age, pack-year, and %FEV1 (age, r = 0.54, p < 0.01; pack-years, r = 0.35, p < 0.01%; FEV1, r = − 0.28, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in CAVI between past-smokers with NS and past-smokers with AL after adjusting for age, pack-years, and BMI. Conclusion This study newly suggests that systemic arteriosclerosis may be strongly associated with age and smoking history rather than airflow limitation in elderly subjects. Ethics and dissemination All subjects were given an adequate explanation of the study and provided written informed consent to participation. This study was conducted after obtaining approval from the Shinshu University of Medical Ethics Committee (approval number: 3767). Trial registration Shohei Kawachi, UMIN000048909, 1 October 2022 (retrospectively registered).https://doi.org/10.1186/s43168-025-00438-7ArteriosclerosisCardio-ankle vascular indexAirflow limitationSmoking historyAge
spellingShingle Shohei Kawachi
Keisaku Fujimoto
Arterial stiffness in former elderly smokers is associated with aging and smoking but not airflow limitation: a cross-sectional study
The Egyptian Journal of Bronchology
Arteriosclerosis
Cardio-ankle vascular index
Airflow limitation
Smoking history
Age
title Arterial stiffness in former elderly smokers is associated with aging and smoking but not airflow limitation: a cross-sectional study
title_full Arterial stiffness in former elderly smokers is associated with aging and smoking but not airflow limitation: a cross-sectional study
title_fullStr Arterial stiffness in former elderly smokers is associated with aging and smoking but not airflow limitation: a cross-sectional study
title_full_unstemmed Arterial stiffness in former elderly smokers is associated with aging and smoking but not airflow limitation: a cross-sectional study
title_short Arterial stiffness in former elderly smokers is associated with aging and smoking but not airflow limitation: a cross-sectional study
title_sort arterial stiffness in former elderly smokers is associated with aging and smoking but not airflow limitation a cross sectional study
topic Arteriosclerosis
Cardio-ankle vascular index
Airflow limitation
Smoking history
Age
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s43168-025-00438-7
work_keys_str_mv AT shoheikawachi arterialstiffnessinformerelderlysmokersisassociatedwithagingandsmokingbutnotairflowlimitationacrosssectionalstudy
AT keisakufujimoto arterialstiffnessinformerelderlysmokersisassociatedwithagingandsmokingbutnotairflowlimitationacrosssectionalstudy