As we get older, we tend to focus on what we can see—our skin, our hair, our posture. But what about what’s going on inside? Vascular ageing is a lesser-known, yet incredibly important part of the ageing process. It affects the arteries that supply your heart, brain and entire body with life-sustaining blood. And just like wrinkles on the outside, stiffening arteries are a normal part of growing older—but the rate at which this happens can vary a lot depending on how you live.
What Is Vascular Ageing — and Why Should You Care?
Your arteries are meant to be flexible and elastic. This allows them to absorb the pressure of your heartbeat and smoothly transport blood throughout your body. But over time, these vessels can stiffen and lose their ability to do that job efficiently. This process, known as vascular ageing, can raise your risk of serious health conditions—like high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and cognitive decline.
When your arteries stiffen, your heart has to work harder to push blood through them, which adds extra strain. This added pressure isn’t just a burden for your heart—it affects your brain health and overall wellbeing too.
What Speeds Up the Ageing of Your Arteries?
Several everyday factors can accelerate the ageing of your arteries:
- Chronic stress: Constant stress raises your blood pressure and releases hormones that damage arterial walls over time.
- Poor diet: High intake of processed foods, added sugars, and unhealthy fats can contribute to plaque buildup and inflammation.
- Smoking: One of the fastest ways to age your arteries. Tobacco smoke damages the lining of your vessels and speeds up stiffness.
- Sedentary lifestyle: When you don’t move your body enough, your blood flow slows and arteries stiffen more quickly.
- Uncontrolled health conditions: High blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol all add to the wear and tear on your vascular system.
Why Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) Is a Game-Changer
At Cardiotech Healthcare, we use non-invasive technology to look at how well your arteries are functioning—not just your standard blood pressure reading. One key indicator we measure is pulse wave velocity (PWV). This tells us how fast your blood pressure pulse moves through the arteries.
If your arteries are stiff, that wave travels faster. A high PWV is a sign your arteries may be ageing more quickly than they should. We also assess the augmentation index, another helpful marker that reflects how much your arteries are resisting the pulse of each heartbeat.
Understanding these numbers gives you a real window into your cardiovascular future — and an opportunity to do something about it before symptoms appear.
Learn more about our vascular health testing at Cardiotech
How to Keep Your Arteries Younger for Longer
You can’t turn back time—but you can definitely slow it down. Here are a few lifestyle changes that make a big difference:
- Eat a heart-smart diet: Focus on whole, unprocessed foods. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, olive oil, and fish are especially beneficial for your arteries.
- Stay active: Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days. Walking, swimming, cycling—they all help improve circulation and keep arteries flexible.
- Manage stress: Breathing exercises, meditation, even simple hobbies can reduce your stress load and protect your vascular health.
- Quit smoking: If you smoke, getting support to quit is one of the most powerful steps you can take.
- Stay on top of your numbers: Blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar should be checked regularly.
Don’t Guess —Test
The truth is, you can feel perfectly fine while your arteries are silently ageing. That’s why early testing is so important. At Cardiotech Healthcare, we offer simple outpatient tests that measure your vascular health using metrics like PWV, central aortic pulse pressure, and the augmentation index.
These insights help you understand where you stand—and more importantly, what you can do to improve it.
Book your non-invasive vascular health check now
Stay Young at Heart—Literally
You don’t have to wait for symptoms to take your health seriously. Vascular ageing may be a silent process, but it doesn’t have to be a dangerous one. By staying proactive and informed, you can keep your arteries flexible, your heart strong, and your future bright.