Conclusions
atherosclerosis, hypertension, CKD, diabetes
CVD, ARTERIAL STIFFNESS, ATHEROSCLEROSIS, HYPERTENSION, DIABETES
To conclude, we observed associations between skin AGEs and the extent of several endophenotypes of CVD, suggesting that AGEs may contribute to CVD by being involved in processes like atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness but not hypertension in this general population of older adults. The study also provides more data on the inconclusive association between SAF and hypertension and suggests that inconsistent observations may arise from varied age ranges of study populations. As a marker of metabolic memory, a higher SAF may signal vascular aging and subclinical cardiovascular changes beyond traditional risk factors, especially in men and individuals with diabetes or CKD. Future risk modeling studies may investigate whether and in which groups of the population measuring SAF will benefit CVD risk prediction in clinical practice. As AGEs accumulate even in children, life-course management of AGEs may benefit cardiovascular health. Prospective studies using a longitudinal design are warranted to confirm our cross-sectional findings and evaluate if AGEs are also involved in pathological changes at later stages of CVD.
