IJCS | Volume 33, Nº4, July and August 2020

351 Table 1 - Demographic and clinical characteristics of the study population (n = 54) Mean ± SD Age (years) 81.8 ± 8.8 Body mass index (Kg/m 2 ) 26.9 ± 4.3 Systolic BP (mmHg) 146.8 ± 37.7 Diastolic BP (mmHg) 79.7 ± 75.8 Heart rate (bpm) 68.2 ± 10.9 Aortic systolic BP (mmHg) 132.7 ± 23.7 Aortic pulse pressure (mmHg) 51.5 ± 15.7 AIx@75 (%) 30.1 ± 12.9 Cardiac output (L/m) 4.8 ± 1.1 Haematocrit (SI) 39.7 ± 5.2 Total Cholesterol (mg/dL) 181.8 ± 39.0 HDL Cholesterol (mg/dL) 42.7 ± 8.5 LDL Cholesterol (mg/dL) 128.5 ± 36.2 Triglycerides (mg/dL) 140.6 ± 51.8 Glycemia (mg/dL) 114.7 ± 56.4 Creatinine (mg/dL) 0.8 ± 0.2 C-reactive protein (mg(dL) 0.4 ± 0.6 Microalbuminuria (mg/L) 42.7 ± 82.5 Haemoglobin A1c (%) 5.3 ± 1.7 Pulse wave velocity (m/s) 12.9 ± 2.1 BP: blood pressure; AIx@75 : augmentation index corrected for heart rate; HDL: high-density lipoprotein; LDL: low-density lipoprotein. Pereira & Costa Arterial stiffness in the older adult Int J Cardiovasc Sci. 2020; 33(4):349-356 Original Article cardiovascular risk profile and history of falls. The HGS was measured in the dominant hand using a Jamar hydraulic hand dynamometer (measured in Kg/f), with participant seated with shoulder adducted, elbow flexed 90 o and forearm in neutral position. 18,19 Individuals were instructed to exert maximal grip strength for five seconds, only once. The Portuguese version of the physical exercise self-efficacy questionnaire was used to evaluate the individual’s self-confidence regarding the practice of physical activities. 20 Diet profile was evaluated with the Portuguese version of the mini nutritional assessment. 20 Cognitive function was evaluated at baseline using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB - Cambridge Cognition, Cambridge, UK) platform. 21,22 AS and brachial and central BP were also measured, and blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis. Statistical Analysis Data were compiled in Excel 2016 (Microsoft Office, Redmond, WA), checked for quality, and then imported into SPSS Statistics version 24 (IBM, Armonk, NY) for statistical analysis. Post-hoc statistical power was checked with the GPower software version 3.1.9.2 (Universität Kiel, Germany) providing a power coefficient > 0.9 for a medium effect size. The distribution of variables was tested for normality by Kolmogorov-Smirnov’s test, and the homogeneity of variances was addressed with the Levene’s test. Variables with a non-normal distribution were log-transformed. A simple descriptive statistic method was applied for demographic and clinical characterization. Data are presented as mean ± SD for continuous variables, and as frequency (%) for categorical variables. Comparisons between independent groupswere performed with Student’s t test for continuous variables, and with the χ 2 or Fisher’s exact tests for categorical data. For between-group comparisons, adjustments to age and/ or gender were made. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) was calculated with AS (PWV) as the dependent variable. Univariable and multivariable linear regression analysis were also performed with AS (PWV) as the dependent variable and adjusting to age and gender in the multivariable model. Assumptions for linear regression were previously checked, including the presence of a linear relationship, normal distribution and homoscedasticity of errors, as well as independence of the observations. A two-tailed p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results The study enrolled 54 participants (70%women), with a mean age of 81.8 ± 8.8 years (range: 65-94 years). About 5% of the participants were smokers and 5%were former smokers. Twenty percent of the participants had family history of cardiovascular disease. Hypertension was observed in 80% of the participants, and 64%were under anti-hypertensive treatment. Dyslipidemia accounted for 60% of the participants, with 48%medicatedwith statins, and diabetes was identified in 26% of the participants, all of them medicated accordingly. Main characteristics are presented in Table 1. Mean PWV was 12.9 ± 2.1 m/s. Significant differences were observed between genders, with males presenting higher BP and PWV. The proportion of participants