What is Vascular Age?

We think of chronological age as our "real" age, but rarely do we consider how old we are on the inside. Vascular Age (VA) is a health metric that provides a measurement of your arteries’ age compared to other Withings users of the same chronological age. Based on Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV), an innovative metric used by the medical community to assess arterial stiffness, Vascular Age is a key metric to give you a clearer picture of your heart’s health.

Your Vascular Age is displayed within a range, and color-coded feedback will let you know if it’s optimal, normal, or not optimal.

How is Vascular Age measured?

BodyFit measures the time difference between blood ejection from the heart to the aorta and the arrival of blood flow in the feet. The time it takes for the pressure wave to travel along the arterial tree is used in an exclusive algorithm developed with cardiologists to compute your Vascular Age and compare it with other Withings users.

Our exclusive algorithm developed with cardiology specialists takes your PWV measurements and computes your Vascular Age in comparison to other Withings users.

What are the different results I can get?

🟢 Younger than Expected

Your arteries are more flexible than average for your age. Pulse waves travel slowly through them - a sign of healthy, elastic blood vessels that ease the work of your heart.

🔵 In Line

Your arterial stiffness is typical for your age. Your blood vessels are aging at the expected rate - keep tracking to spot trends early.

🟠 Older than Expected

Your arteries appear stiffer than expected for your age. Stiffer arteries make the heart work harder to push blood through them, which can add cardiovascular load over time. Exercise, balanced nutrition, and good blood pressure control all support arterial flexibility.

Important: The first vascular age result is available after 5 successful measurements. If 1/5, 2/5, etc. is displayed, it means that the algorithm has not yet collected enough measurements to provide data.

Why does Vascular Age matter?

Vascular Age is a metric recognized by the scientific community: if your Vascular Age is assessed as significantly greater than your chronological age, you may be more at risk of developing vascular disease later in life.

There are several things that can help you decrease the aging of your vascular health. A healthy diet, daily exercise, and positive relationships all work together to limit vascular aging. However, unhealthy foods, non-stop stress, smoking, and other physical-mental factors can increase the aging rate of your vascular health.

What is the best way to measure your Vascular age?

To allow the scale to measure your Vascular Age:

• Your feet must be bare when you weigh in.
• Make sure your feet are placed in the center of the scale.
• Stay in position and try not to move until the scale measures heart rate and Vascular Age.
• For optimal measurements, try to weigh yourself regularly at the same time of day. It is recommended to weigh yourself after taking a shower, as slightly moist feet can improve the measurement. Too many calluses on your feet can alter the measurement.

How do we know Vascular Age assessment works?

To assess the measurement validity, Withings originally performed a study comparing Vascular Age in the Body Cardio (our first scale to feature PWV and VA measurement capability) to a sphygmometer, the golden standard to measure cardiovascular health.

The study was conducted on a group of 86 individuals in a clinical context by a medical team specializing in arterial stiffness (Pr. Pierre Boutouyrie, AP-HP, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France).

Vascular Age is based on clinically recognized measurements and its algorithm and classification were developed with health professionals and based on multiple scientific papers.

Learn more about Pulse Wave Velocity

Pulse Wave Velocity is an innovative metric used by the medical community to assess cardiovascular health. Each time your heart beats, it induces a wave along the aorta and the arterial tree. This wave leads to blood-volume changes in the vessels that expand and contract in response. Pulse Wave Velocity is the propagation speed of this wave along the arteries. Pulse Wave Velocity is usually measured between the carotid and the femoral artery using applanation tonometry. However, this technique usually requires advanced equipment and a well-trained operator.

Pulse Wave Velocity is generally restricted to a clinical setting, but our scales bring this unique measurement home so that everyone can have a better picture of their health just by stepping on the scale. Knowledge is power, and the scale and app have been designed to inform and inspire day-to-day behaviors that can result in better long-term health.

Everyone can lower Pulse Wave Velocity through lifestyle changes such as a healthy diet and exercise, controlling blood pressure, diabetes, and managing cholesterol levels.

Sources:

Reference Values for Arterial Stiffness' Collaboration. Determinants of pulse wave velocity in healthy people and in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors: 'establishing normal and reference values'. Eur Heart J. 2010 Oct;31(19):2338-50. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehq165. Epub 2010 Jun 7. PMID: 20530030; PMCID: PMC2948201.

Laurent S, Boutouyrie P, Cunha PG, Lacolley P, Nilsson PM. Concept of Extremes in Vascular Aging. Hypertension. 2019 Aug;74(2):218-228. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.119.12655. Epub 2019 Jun 17. PMID: 31203728.

Bruno RM, Nilsson PM, Engström G, Wadström BN, Empana JP, Boutouyrie P, Laurent S. Early and Supernormal Vascular Aging: Clinical Characteristics and Association With Incident Cardiovascular Events. Hypertension. 2020 Nov;76(5):1616-1624. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.14971. Epub 2020 Sep 8. PMID: 32895017.

Harvard Health: How old are your arteries?

Disclaimers:

• BodyFit is not a medical device and as such it is not intended to detect, prevent, monitor, or treat any disease. Always consult your doctor or healthcare professional before making any healthcare decisions or starting any diet or exercise program.
• Vascular Age is a relative indicator based on Withings users. This feature can’t predict an absolute risk of developing a cardiovascular disease and should only be considered as a wellness indicator.

• Please keep in mind that Vascular Age measurement is unlikely to be reliable if you are diagnosed with a heart rhythm disorder.