Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease in Korean Exceptional Longevity

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that subjects with exceptional longevity and their offsprings have a lower incidence and delayed onset of age-related diseases. Cardiovascular protective effect through over-presentation of Apo E2 with lower LDL cholesterol level, high HDL cholesterol, and larger size of HDL and LDL particle with cholesteryl ester transfer protein(CETP) genetic variation were suggested as a mechanism of less cardiovascular disease in exceptional longevity. Objective of this study is to examine what risk factors of cardiovascular diseases were related with exceptional longevity in Korea. METHODS: One hundred seventeen centenarians, 179 nonagenarians, 61 octogenarian regional controls were visited and joined after informed written consent was obtained. Age was first identified by National Residence Registry with help of regional government and verified by visiting researchers with birth year animal, age of first child and neighbor's connection memory. Detailed interview with questionnaires about health status and life style, physical examination, physical and cognitive function, and blood tests were performed. Data about risk factors of cardiovascular disease was analyzed and compared exceptional longevity group with regional control group and 455 octogenarian control data from 2001 National Health and Nutrition Examination. RESULTS: Hypertension and diabetes history, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, obesity and abdominal obesity, and physical inactivity ratio of longevity groups were significantly less than control group. Level of homocysteine, and C-reactive protein and low serum HDL cholesterol ratio were not much different between longevity and control group. CONCLUSION: Fewer risk factors and delayed onset of cardiovascular disease were observed in Korean exceptional longevity group. Future research about genetic protective effect of cardiovascular disease in longevity is required.