Oberdier MT, et al. - Using longitudinal data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, researchers examined 974 participants aged 27 to 95 years free of clinically significant cardiovascular disease to investigate if age-associated decline in ankle-brachial index (ABI) is related to central arterial stiffening with aging, evaluated by pulse wave velocity. The average observation time and average visits were 6.8 years and four visits. In a healthy population free of clinical cardiovascular disease, a link was identified between aging and a longitudinal decline in ABI beyond the age of 70 years. This association was independent of conventional risk factors for peripheral arterial disease but was accounted for by a rise in pulse wave velocity. The changes in central hemodynamics might manifest as a modest drop in ABI with aging, which might not necessarily be due to peripheral flow–limiting factors.