Assessment of clinical and biochemical parameters as indicators of ageing at wartime

Objective — to evaluate clinical and biochemical parameters and related differences in the rate of aging in patients with arterial hypertension (AH) during the year 2023. Materials and methods. Examinations involved 39 patients with AH with a median age of 51.4 [46.9; 63.2] years, from them 27 were men (69.2%). Examinations were performed twice: at baseline and after the treatment and preventive activities. Depending on the time of the follow‑up visit, patients were divided into two groups, comparable by gender: group 1 with follow up visit conducted up to 27 weeks after first evaluation (n=19), group 2 with follow up visit conducted at more than 27 weeks (n=20). The assessment of phenotypic age (PA) and delta age (ΔPA) as markers of aging was conducted according to the DNAm PhenoAge calculation method (M. E. Levine, 2018). Results. The significant changes have been revealed in the following parameters: waist circumference (WC) (p=0.008), absolute lymphocyte count (p=0.003), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (p=0.032), red cell distribution width (RDW) (p=0.049), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (p=0.0001), total cholesterol (TC) (p=0.019), triglycerides (TG) (p=0.010), very low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL‑C) (p=0.038), amylase (p=0.038), uric acid (p=0.038), and total protein (p=0.008). Significant differences were established in group 1 in WC (p=0.042) and total protein (p=0.040), and in group 2 in lymphocyte count (p=0.010), RDW (p=0.016), ALP (p=0.001), TG (p=0.049), uric acid (p=0.018), and albumin (p=0.020). Patients with AH had lower results of prothrombin time (p=0.018), international normalized ratio (p=0.018), and higher prothrombin activation by Quick’s method (p=0.026). Levels of C‑reactive protein were lower in both overall patients with AH (p=0.004), and separately in groups 1 (p=0.044) and 2 (p=0.034). During the second follow‑up visit, the rate of aging increased in 51.6% of patients with AH. There was an association (p <0.05) between the increase in aging rates and the development of unfavorable anthropometric status, lipid profile, and the development of pro‑inflammatory state. There was also a direct correlation between thrombocrit and the acceleration of aging rates (p=0.025). Conclusions. Screening for premature aging in patients with AH can be based on the assessment of aging rates according to M. Levine’s method (2018). This screening should be conducted more than once a year with account of the individual risk factors. During the wartime, patients with AH may require monitoring of anthropometric parameters and standard clinical‑biochemical indicators, especially lipid profile, renal tests (albumin, uric acid), glucose, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), at least twice a year to prevent accelerated aging rates.