Although approximately 75% of healthcare professionals acknowledge the association between vascular ageing and cardiovascular risk, less than 10% of clinicians currently measure it in clinical settings due to time constraints, cost, and lack of guidelines.
Cross-Sectional (n=276)
Yes
Despite widespread recognition of its importance for cardiovascular risk evaluation, vascular ageing assessment is rarely performed in routine clinical practice due to practical barriers.
Abstract Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major global health challenge. Vascular ageing assessment can identify high-risk individuals for effective prevention, but the knowledge, awareness, perceptions, applications, and limitations of vascular ageing assessment in clinical and research settings are limited. This study assessed these aspects among researchers and clinicians. Methods A pilot-tested questionnaire from our previous study was distributed to clinicians and researchers. Participant’s characteristics and percentages for responses on various aspects of vascular ageing including knowledge, awareness, perceptions, applications, and limitations were reported. Results Two hundred seventy-six people completed the survey (aged 47 ± 15 years, 49.6% male, 67.0% researchers, response rate 75.4%). Findings indicated a consensus on the importance of vascular ageing in a research and clinical context. Approximately 75% acknowledged the association between vascular ageing and overall CVD risk. The group identified as most likely to benefit from vascular ageing assessment were individuals with positive family histories of CVD. There was a consensus on the potential for vascular ageing biomarkers to improve CVD risk evaluation and prevention. Over 90% believe that vascular ageing can be modified. However, less than 10% of clinicians currently measure vascular ageing in clinical settings, citing time constraints, cost and lack of guidelines as main barriers. Conclusions This study highlights the perceived value of vascular ageing measures in both research and clinical settings and identifies the challenges and limitations hindering widespread implementation. Addressing the identified challenges may facilitate the integration of vascular ageing assessments into routine clinical practice, potentially improving CVD risk stratification and patient outcomes.
Park et al. (Mon,) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthcare professionals' perspectives on vascular ageing (n=276). Vascular ageing assessment survey was evaluated on Measurement of vascular ageing in clinical settings. Although approximately 75% of healthcare professionals acknowledge the association between vascular ageing and cardiovascular risk, less than 10% of clinicians currently measure it in clinical settings due to time constraints, cost, and lack of guidelines.