Relationship between tissue glycation measured by autofluorescence and pulse wave velocity in young and elderly non-diabetic populations

Abstract Objective Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) are pivotal indices of the processes of arterial ageing and damage accumulation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of AGEs, as measured by a non-invasive skin autofluorescence method, on arterial stiffness, estimated by PWV, in two different age groups of non-diabetic subjects. Methods and patients A total of 116 non-diabetic subjects were classified into two groups, with 55 subjects in the group aged Results A significant (positive) association was observed between PWV and AGE skin autofluorescence in the younger age group (r = 0.51; P P  = 0.454). Conclusion Younger non-diabetic subjects exhibit a different correlation profile between AGEs accumulated in skin and cfPWV as an index of arterial stiffness compared with elderly subjects. AGEs were significantly associated with cfPWV in younger individuals, but not in the elderly. A further study with a larger number of subjects is proposed to confirm the contribution of AGEs, the formation of which is manageable, as a determinant of arterial stiffness in younger subjects.