Relationship between valued life activity and brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity from the Wakayama study: A cross-sectional study

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Cross-Sectional. Population: Arterial stiffness (n=380). Intervention: Having 3 Valued Life Activities (VLAs) vs. 1 or 2 Valued Life Activities. Primary outcome: High arterial stiffness (brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity ≥ 14 m/s) (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.13-0.85, p=0.02).

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

Having three valued life activities is associated with lower odds of arterial stiffness, though this protective association is attenuated and loses statistical significance after adjusting for age. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Katsushi Yokoi; Nobuyuki Miyai; Masato Sakaguchi; Toshifumi Oka; Miyoko Utsumi; Megumi Nakamura; Mikio Arita

doi:10.1097/md.0000000000046764

December 19, 2025MedicineOpen Access

Relationship between valued life activity and brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity from the Wakayama study: A cross-sectional study

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Key result

Engaging in 3 valued life activities is linked to ~67% lower odds of elevated arterial stiffness.

OR 0.33
95% CI 0.13-0.85
P=0.02
n=380

Why the study?

Arterial stiffness strongly predicts cardiovascular events and is influenced by lifestyle, but the relationship between characteristics of valued life activities and arterial stiffness was not well understood.

Does engaging in 3 valued life activities reduce the risk of elevated brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (≥ 14 m/s) in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults?

Key Points

To investigate the association between the characteristics of valued life activities (VLAs) and arterial stiffness measured by brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in community-dwelling adults.
Analyzed cross-sectional data from N=380 community-dwelling participants (157 men and 223 women, mean age 69.4 ± 10.2 years) surveyed in 2017 as part of the Wakayama study.
Assessed baPWV alongside a self-administered questionnaire measuring VLA characteristics, including number, domain (self-care, productivity, leisure), frequency, continuity, performance, and satisfaction.
Arterial stiffness defined by baPWV ≥ 14 m/s was identified in 293 of 380 participants (77.1%).
Having 3 VLAs was significantly associated with lower odds of baPWV ≥ 14 m/s (Model 1 adjusted OR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.13–0.85), though additional adjustment for age attenuated this association (adjusted OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.17–1.45).
Engaging in both leisure and productivity activities was associated with lower odds of baPWV ≥ 14 m/s (crude OR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.39–1.04), which reached statistical significance in women (crude OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.26–0.91).

Study Design

Type

Cross-Sectional (n=380)

Multicenter

No

Structured PICO

Does engaging in 3 valued life activities reduce the risk of elevated brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (≥ 14 m/s) in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults?

P

Population

380 community-dwelling adults (mean age 69.5 years, 58.7% female) in Japan, assessed cross-sectionally for the relationship between valued life activities and arterial stiffness.

E

Exposure

Engagement in 3 Valued Life Activities (VLAs) as self-reported on a questionnaire based on the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (categorized into self-care, productivity, and leisure domains).

C

Comparator

Engagement in fewer (1 or 2) Valued Life Activities (VLAs).

O

Outcome

Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) ≥ 14 m/s, indicating cardiovascular risk level.surrogate

Main Result

Odds Ratio: 0.33 (95% CI 0.13–0.85)

Absolute Event Rate: 75% vs 90.4%

p-value: p=0.02

Engaging in a higher number of valued life activities may be associated with reduced arterial stiffness, although this relationship is strongly attenuated by the physiological effects of aging in older adults.

Limitations

Cross-sectional design precludes causal inference.
Relatively low cutoffs for baPWV compared to some clinical practices.
Valued life activities were self-reported and limited to a maximum of 3, introducing potential recall bias.
Associations were attenuated and lost statistical significance after adjusting for age, reflecting the strong influence of aging.
Sample size limited statistical power for gender-specific subgroup analyses.
Relatively low baPWV cutoff of 14 m/s was adopted, which may explain the high prevalence of elevated baPWV.
VLAs were self-reported and limited to a maximum of 3, raising concerns about recall bias and restricting analyses of time use and activity intensity.
Sensitivity analyses with age adjustment attenuated the significance of the associations, reflecting the strong effect of age.
Sample size limited statistical power to examine subgroup effects such as gender-specific associations.

Implication

May link valued activities to lower stiffness odds in community adults; hypothesis-generating and requires longitudinal data before informing practice.

Abstract

Arterial stiffness is strongly associated with atherosclerosis and is a major cause of cardiovascular events, making prevention essential for middle-aged adults. Since lifestyle habits considerably influence arterial stiffness, it is crucial for middle-aged and older adults to understand how to maintain their health through daily activities. This study investigated the relationship between the characteristics of valued life activities (VLAs) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), which reflects arterial stiffness. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 380 community-dwelling individuals surveyed in 2017 as participants in the Wakayama study. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire on VLAs, and their baPWV was measured. The questionnaire assessed the number, domain, frequency, continuity, performance, and satisfaction of VLAs. Among the participants, 293 (77.1%) had a baPWV ≥ 14 m/s, indicating a cardiovascular risk level. In the main analyses, having 3 VLAs were significantly associated with lower odds of baPWV ≥ 14 m/s (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.33 [0.13-0.85]). The crude odds ratio for productivity-only activities was 2.54 (95% confidence interval: 0.87-7.41), while participation in both leisure and productivity activities was associated with lower odds (0.64 [0.39-1.04]), particularly among women (0.49 [0.26-0.91]). In sensitivity analyses that included age adjustment, these associations were attenuated and no longer statistically significant, reflecting the strong influence of age on arterial stiffness. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that the number and type of VLAs, especially productivity and leisure activities among women, may be relevant factors concerning arterial stiffness. Assessing VLAs could therefore be beneficial in designing health support programs aimed at addressing arterial stiffness for middle-aged and older adults.

Discussion

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Cite This Study

Yokoi et al. (2025) conducted a cross-sectional in Arterial stiffness (n=380). Having 3 Valued Life Activities (VLAs) vs. 1 or 2 Valued Life Activities was evaluated on High arterial stiffness (brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity ≥ 14 m/s) (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.13-0.85, p=0.02). Having 3 valued life activities was associated with significantly lower odds of elevated arterial stiffness compared to having fewer activities (adjusted OR 0.33).

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a1698279bb2c22b89b258b4 https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000046764

Topics

Women and heart disease

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Relationship between valued life activity and brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity from the Wakayama study: A cross-sectional study

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Main Result

Limitations

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Topics

Relationship between valued life activity and brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity from the Wakayama study: A cross-sectional study

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Main Result

Limitations

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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Topics

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