Research

The influence of obesity on calf blood flow and vascular reactivity in older adults

Luke S Acree¹ , Philip C Comp^2,5 , Thomas L Whitsett³ , Polly S Montgomery⁴ , Kevin J Nickel¹ , Anette S Fjeldstad¹ , Cecilie Fjeldstad¹ and Andrew W Gardner⁴

¹Department of Health and Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

²Department of Medicine, Hematology Section, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA

³Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Section, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA

⁴Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) Metabolic Research Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA

⁵Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA

author email corresponding author email

Dynamic Medicine 2007, 6:4doi:10.1186/1476-5918-6-4

Published:	26 March 2007

Abstract

Objective

To determine whether differences in vascular reactivity existed among normal weight, overweight, and obese older men and women, and to examine the association between abdominal fat distribution and vascular reactivity.

Methods

Eighty-seven individuals who were 60 years of age or older (age = 69 ± 7 yrs; mean ± SD) were grouped into normal weight (BMI < 25; n = 30), overweight (BMI ≥ 25 and < 30; n = 28), or obese (BMI ≥ 30; n = 29) categories. Calf blood flow (BF) was assessed by venous occlusion strain-gauge plethysmography at rest and post-occlusive reactive hyperemia.

Results

Post-occlusive reactive hyperemia BF was lower (p = 0.038) in the obese group (5.55 ± 4.67 %/min) than in the normal weight group (8.34 ± 3.89 %/min). Additionally, change in BF from rest to post-occlusion in the obese group (1.93 ± 2.58 %/min) was lower (p = 0.001) than in the normal weight group (5.21 ± 3.59 %/min), as well as the percentage change (75 ± 98 % vs. 202 ± 190 %, p = 0.006, respectively). After adjusting for age, prevalence in hypertension and calf skinfold thickness, change in BF values remained lower (p < 0.05) in obese subjects compared to the normal weight subjects. Lastly, the absolute and percentage change in BF were significantly related to BMI (r = -0.44, p < 0.001, and r = -0.37, p < 0.001, respectively) and to waist circumference (r = -0.36, p = 0.001, and r = -0.32, p = 0.002).

Conclusion

Obesity and abdominal adiposity impair vascular reactivity in older men and women, and these deleterious effects on vascular reactivity are independent of conventional risk factors.