Vascular age (arterial age) is an assessment of the condition and elasticity of the arteries compared with your peers. Over the years the vessel walls lose their springiness: elastin breaks down, collagen and calcium accumulate, and the artery becomes stiffer.
If your arteries are stiffer than expected for your age, your vascular age is higher than your calendar age — an early marker of atherosclerosis and of the risk of heart attack and stroke.
What vascular age shows
Young arteries are elastic and dampen the pulse wave (the Windkessel effect). Stiff vessels cushion the ejection of blood less well: pulse pressure rises and so does the load on the heart, brain and kidneys. That is why vascular age reflects not a percentage of risk but the physical condition of the vessel wall and the work of the endothelium.
How it is measured
The "gold standard" is pulse wave velocity along the carotid–femoral segment (cfPWV); values above ~10 m/s are considered a sign of increased stiffness. Carotid intima-media thickness, coronary artery calcium and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) — the ability of an artery to widen — are also assessed. There are also computational models (for example, ADVANT'AGE) that translate risk factors into a vascular age.
What to do if your vessels are “older”
Arterial stiffness is partly reversible. Controlling blood pressure, quitting smoking, aerobic exercise, cutting salt and supporting the endothelium's production of nitric oxide improve elasticity. Vascular age is closely linked to the biological age of the heart.
Calculate using this marker
Calculators where Vascular age is used directly:
Frequently asked questions
How does vascular age differ from heart age?
Vascular age assesses the state of the arteries (stiffness, elasticity, endothelial function), whereas heart age is calculated from risk factors and the probability of a cardiovascular event. The two are related but measure different things.
Which test is the most reliable?
The best-validated method is measuring carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV). Values above ~10 m/s point to increased aortic stiffness and a rising cardiovascular risk.