VASCULAR aging plays an important role in the mortality of the elderly, but VASCULAR aging can be dependent on other factors such as DISEASES. Various DISEASES such as Alzheimer, diabetes, thalassemia, and other DISEASES affect the mechanisms of VASCULAR aging. It will harm the recovery process of these patients. There are methods for measuring VASCULAR aging such as instrumental measurements and molecular methods. The best way to measure VASCULAR aging is a combination of methods to determine the mechanism and cause of VASCULAR aging. In this review article, we first summarize the various mechanisms of VASCULAR aging and then discuss the effect of different disease on VASCULAR aging.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of carotid artery stenosis (CAS) in the general population is not high enough to justify screening programs. This study was done to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (ACAS) among patients with severe peripheral VASCULAR disease (PVD).METHODS: Between March 2005 and February 2006, 54 consecutive patients with severe PVD admitted at a VASCULAR surgery unit and underwent carotid duplex scanning in a prospective study. A questionnaire was used to collect data concerning known risk factors. Significant CAS was defined as a stenosis of 70% or greater.RESULTS: The mean age was 62.5 years (51-72). Out of 54 patients, 2 (3.7%) had an occluded internal carotid artery. Significant CAS was found in 9 (16.7%) and its presence was correlated with diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, coronary artery disease, severity of symptoms, ankle-brachial index, and carotid bruit. On multivariate analysis, only hypercholesterolemia and carotid bruit seemed to have independent influence.CONCLUSION: The prevalence of significant ACAS is higher among patients with severe PVD. This patient population may indicate a suitable subgroup for screening of ACAS, especially when hypercholesterolemia and carotid bruit are present.