Association between trunk flexibility and renal flow pulsatility in middle-aged and older adults

Natsumi Nishitani; Keisei Kosaki; Masahiro Matsui; Takeshi Sugaya; Makoto Kuro-O; Chie Saito; Kunihiro Yamagata; Seiji Maeda

doi:10.1016/j.exger.2022.112060

Association between trunk flexibility and renal flow pulsatility in middle-aged and older adults

Exp Gerontol. 2023 Feb:172:112060. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2022.112060. Epub 2022 Dec 13.

Authors

Natsumi Nishitani¹, Keisei Kosaki², Masahiro Matsui³, Takeshi Sugaya⁴, Makoto Kuro-O⁵, Chie Saito⁶, Kunihiro Yamagata⁷, Seiji Maeda⁸

Affiliations

¹ Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
² Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. Electronic address: kosaki.keisei.gm@u.tsukuba.ac.jp.
³ Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan.
⁴ Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan.
⁵ Division of Anti-aging Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.
⁶ Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
⁷ Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan; R&D Center for Smart Wellness City Policies, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
⁸ Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan; Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan.

PMID: 36526099
DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2022.112060

Abstract

Background: Recent clinical studies have indicated that poor trunk flexibility is associated with arterial stiffness in the aged. Arterial stiffness leads to elevated renal flow pulsatility, which accelerates age-related renal dysfunction and damages. However, data indicating the potential link between flexibility fitness and renal flow pulsatility are lacking. This study examined the cross-sectional association between trunk flexibility and renal flow pulsatility in middle-aged and older adults.

Methods: A total of 175 middle-aged and older adults (aged 63 ± 9 years) were included in this study. Sit-and-reach tests (SRT) were performed to assess their trunk flexibility. Using a Doppler ultrasound, renal pulsatility index (PI) and resistive index (RI) were measured as parameters of renal flow pulsatility.

Results: The study found that, in middle-aged and older adults, the SRT score was an independent determinant of renal PI (β = -0.134, P = 0.027) and RI (β = -0.135, P = 0.027). In the one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), the renal PI and RI in the older group with a lower SRT score were found to be significantly higher than those in the middle-aged group.

Conclusions: Trunk flexibility is an independent determinant of renal flow pulsatility in middle-aged and older adults.

Keywords: Aging; Renal flow pulsatility; Trunk flexibility.

MeSH terms

Aged
Aging*
Blood Flow Velocity
Cross-Sectional Studies*
Humans
Hypertension / complications
Kidney Failure, Chronic*
Middle Aged
Pulsatile Flow
Vascular Stiffness*