ArticleThe journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences2019
Greater Periaortic Fat Volume at Midlife Is Associated with Slower Gait Speed Later in Life in Women: The SWAN Cardiovascular Fat Ancillary Study.
Article in The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Obesity and Women's health across the lifespan: A clinical review of life Stage-Specific challenges and treatment considerations.Obesity pillars · 2026Review
- Sex-Specific Characteristics of Perivascular Fat in Aortic Aneurysms.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Metabolic Syndrome Trajectories and Objective Physical Performance in Mid-to-Early Late Life: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN).The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2022Article
- Weight, Shape, and Body Composition Changes at Menopause.Journal of mid-life healthArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundHigher perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) contributes to adverse physiologic alterations in the vascular wall, and thus could potentially limit normal physical function later in life. We hypothesize that higher PVAT volume at midlife is prospectively associated with slower gait speed later in life, independent of overall adiposity and other risk factors.
methodsParticipants from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) cardiovascular fat ancillary study were included. PVAT volume around the descending aorta was quantified using existing computed tomography scans at midlife, while gait speed was measured after an average of 10.4 ± 0.7 years.
resultsTwo hundred and seventy-six women (aged 51.3 ± 2.8 years at PVAT assessment) were included. Mean gait speed was 0.96 ± 0.21 m/s. Adjusting for study site, race, education level, menopausal status, and length of descending aorta at PVAT assessment, and age, body mass index, difficulty paying for basics, overall health and smoking status at gait speed assessment, a higher midlife PVAT volume was associated with a slower gait speed later in life (p = .03). With further adjustment for presence of any comorbid conditions by the time of gait speed assessment, the association persisted; every 1SD increase in log-PVAT was associated with 3.3% slower gait speed (95% confidence interval: 0.3-6.3%; p = .03).
conclusionGreater PVAT in midlife women may contribute to poorer physical function in older age supporting a potential role of midlife PVAT in multiple domains of healthy aging. Additional research is needed to fully elucidate the physiologic changes associated with PVAT that may underlie the observed associations.
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Registered trials
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