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Perceived age of facial features is a significant diagnosis criterion for age‐related carotid atherosclerosis in Japanese subjects: J‐SHIPP study
Author(s) -
Kido Miwako,
Kohara Katsuhiko,
Miyawaki Saori,
Tabara Yasuharu,
Igase Michiya,
Miki Tetsuro
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
geriatrics and gerontology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1447-0594
pISSN - 1444-1586
DOI - 10.1111/j.1447-0594.2011.00824.x
Subject(s) - medicine , life expectancy , age groups , population , audiology , demography , environmental health , sociology
Aim: Vascular aging is known to be a major determinant of life expectancy. Recently, perceived age was reported to be a better predictor for mortality than chronological age. Based on these findings, we investigated whether or not perceived age was related to atherosclerosis in a general population. Methods: The participants were 273 individuals aged ≥50 years who participated in the Skin‐doc in Anti‐Aging Doc program. Facial photos were taken under a shadowless lamp from three directions (antero‐posterior, and 60° right and left oblique projection) using a high‐resolution digital camera. Perceived age was assessed either by 19 professional nurses in the geriatric ward or using facial identification program software. Carotid intima‐media thickness (IMT), radial augmentation index (AI) and brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were measured as indices for atherosclerosis. Results: The perceived age difference (expressed as the difference between perceived age and chronological age), when estimated either by nurses or software, was significantly and negatively associated with chronological age. Subjects who were evaluated by nurses to be younger than their chronological age had significantly lower carotid IMT after adjustment for chronological age. Conversely, carotid IMT was an independent and negative determinant of looking young, as perceived by nurses. Similar observations were also made between perceived age using facial identification software and carotid IMT. Radial AI and baPWV were not associated with perceived age. Conclusion: These findings show that carotid atherosclerosis is related to perceived age. This association might underlie previous findings showing that perceived age predicts life expectancy. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2012; ••: ••–••.