Study title

The aim of the research is to establish whether physiological aging can be assessed, noninvasively, by the analysis of cardiovascular signals, eg oscillations in blood flow. A cohort of 80 healthy subjects from a wide and evenly distributed age range will be recruited for measurements. Their signals will be recorded and analysed using state-of-the-art nonlinear methods in order to quantify any age-related changes that occur. The lower-frequency oscillations known to be related to the activity of the endothelium, the inner lining of all the blood vessels, will be investigated in detail. Endothelial function declines with age, and diseases such as heart failure and hypertension have associated endothelial dysfunction. The project will thus establish a baseline for endothelial processes in healthy individuals, as a function of age. The interest will be centered on finding out how the oscillatory amplitudes and interaction parameters change during ageing, including in the oldest old. It will also examine age-related changes in the dynamics of thermoregulation and blood oxygenation levels. It is expected that the work will pave the way to a noninvasive method of establishing the level of endothelial reactivity in older people, potentially suitable as a routine diagnostic tool in general healthcare practice.