Figure 1.
Flow diagram of study participants.
Analysis-A comprised ANOVA, ANCOVA, and Pearson's correlation. Analysis-B comprised univariate and stepwise multiple regression analyses. Analysis-C comprised determination of diagnostic criteria using ROC curve analysis and then assessment of flexibility as a diagnostic test. CAVI, cardio-ankle vascular index of arterial stiffness; estimated CAVI, value of CAVI estimated by multiple regression equation; flex, flexibility; H-flex, high-flexibility; P-flex, poor-flexibility; PA, amount of physical activity.
Table 1.
Characteristics of the participants according to age, sex, and flexibility.
Figure 2.
Trunk flexibility (A) and arterial stiffness (B) in groups with high- or poor-flexibility.
CAVI, cardio-ankle vascular index; *P<0.05 vs. high-flexibility within the same age category; †P<0.05 vs. young within the same sex and flexibility group; ‡P<0.05 vs. middle-age within the same sex and flexibility group; §P<0.05 vs. men within the same flexibility and age category; NS, not statistically significant.
Figure 3.
Relationships between trunk flexibility and arterial stiffness (CAVI) according to age and sex.
CAVI, cardio-ankle vascular index, which is theoretically adjusted by BP.
Table 2.
Stepwise multiple-regression analyses of factors affecting arterial stiffness.
Table 3.
Application of flexibility as a diagnostic test.
Figure 4.
Relationships between trunk flexibility and arterial stiffness (baPWV) according to age and sex.
baPWV, brachial-ankle PWV as an index of stiffness in the central arteries.