Favorable pattern of arterial stiffness and vascular aging in a unique cohort of offspring of early life famine survivors
Authors: Tolkunova K. M. , Usoltsev D. A. , Moguchaia E. V. , Boyarinova M. A. , Erina A. M. , Kolesova E. P. , Kibkalo S. V. , Vasileva E. Yu. , Artemov N. N. , Rotar O. P. , Konradi A. O. , Shlyakhto E. V. 
Published: August 2023

The impact of adverse factors in the early life can affect the rate of vascular aging in adulthood and be passed on to the next generations.

Aim. To study the characteristics of arterial stiffness and vascular aging phenotypes in two generations of descendants (children and grandchildren) of the siege of Leningrad survivors, compared to a control group.

Material and methods. Residents of the siege of Leningrad who experienced famine during early childhood in the Great Patriotic War (19411944) underwent examination between 2009 and 2014. In 2020-2021, 76 descendants of Leningrad siege survivors, aged 18 to 63 years (children — 54 (first generation) and grandchildren — 22 (second generation)), without diagnosed cardiovascular diseases, were examined. Questioning, measurement of blood pressure (BP) and biochemical blood tests were carried out. The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) was determined using the VaSera VS-1500 system (Fukuda Denshi, Japan). Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) was assessed using applanation tonometry (SphygmoCor, AtCor, Australia). The phenomenon of supernormal vascular aging was diagnosed with cfPWV £10th percentile of the reference European population, normal vascular aging with cfPWV of 10th-90th percentiles, and early vascular aging with cfPWV ³90th percentile, taking into account age and BP (MattaceRaso F et al., 2010). Several control respondents from the ESSE-RF study (St. Petersburg residents aged 25-64 years) were selected for each descendant, considering generation, sex, age, and BMI. The statistical significance of results was adjusted for multiple comparisons.

Results. The average age of descendants of Leningrad blockade survivors was 50 [36,7-55,0] years, which was comparable to the controls, who were 51 [37,5-55,0] years old (p=0,44). The proportion of men in the samples was also comparable — 43,4% vs 42,3% (p=0,88). The cfPWV values were similar in the study and control groups (p=0,4). Only CAVI values were lower in descendants compared to controls, with significant differences observed only in the first generation, regardless of sex (men — 7,6 [7,1;8,3] in the experimental group vs 8,6 [7,6;9,3] in the control group, p=0,02; women — 7,2 [6,7;7,8] in the experimental group vs 7,8 [7,3;8,2] in the control group, p=0,03). The phenotype of early vascular aging was found only in one participant from the experimental group, while the phenomenon of supernormal vascular aging was significantly more prevalent in the age group of 40-49 years in descendants of Leningrad blockade survivors compared to the control group — 25% vs 0% (p=0,01).

Conclusion. Only in the first generation of descendants of Leningrad blockade survivors, a favorable pattern of arterial stiffness and a tendency towards a higher prevalence of supernormal vascular aging were observed compared to the control group.