TABLE 1.

Main clinical characteristics of studies included in the meta-analyses

	n		Females (%)		Age (years)		BMI (m2/kg)		SBP (mm Hg)		DBP (mm Hg)		Morbidities
Study, year of publication	YNG	OLD	YNG	OLD	YNG	OLD	YNG	OLD	YNG	OLD	YNG	OLD
Studies assessing brachial artery SMF
DeVan et al [4], 2013	21	25	12	17	24±5	62±6*	23±5	26±6*	111±11	121±12*	60±5	75±6*	none
Pierce et al [42], 2011	16	18	0	0	25±4	63±5*	26±4	27±3	118±13	124±11	69±9	78±5*	none
Black et al [3], 2009	9	8	100	100	26±3	60±6*	23±3	31±6*	101±12	122±14*	56±9	67±8*	none
Donato et al [6], 2009	27	23	0	0	22±5	62±5*	25±5	26±5*	117±11	124±10*	63±11	78±10*	none
Walker et al [12], 2009	26	15	0	0	23±10	66±4*	24±5	26±4	116±10	124±12*	61±5	74±8*	none
Donato et al [5], 2007	51	44	0	0	23±7	63±7*	24±7	26±7*	114±7	121±13*	62±7	75±7*	none
Gates et al [39], 2007	10	12	50	50	21±3	60±7*	22±3	25±3*	105±6	114±17	60±6	70±10*	none
Parker et al [41], 2006	8	8	100	100	22±4	70±7*	22±3	25±3*	109±15	131±11*	68±7	78±11*	none
Eskurza et al [36], 2006	9	9	11	11	26±3	64±6*	24±4	26±2	110±6	108±9	60±9	71±9*	none
Eskurza et al [38], 2005	10	9	0	0	22±3	62±6*	23±3	26±3	110±9	111±12	58±6	69±3*	none
Heiss et al [40], 2005	20	20	50	65	25±4	61±9*	22±4	24±4	117±9	122±13	77±9	81±9	none
Eskurza et al [37], 2004	11	9	0	0	25±3	64±6*	24±3	26±3	113±7	116±12	63±7	73±12*	none
McCrohon et al [10], 2000	10	10	100	100	28±5	61±3*	23±2	24±2	106±13	124±9*	75±10	79±12	none
Woo et al A [43], 1997	19	19	68	68	29±5	63±5*	24±8	23±4	115±11	129±14*	76±10	83±8	none
Woo et al B [43], 1997	19	19	68	68	28±6	63±4*	23±3	25±3	108±9	127±13*	75±7	79±11	none
Mean	18	17	37	39	25	63	23	26	111	121	66	75	–
Studies assessing resistance artery SMF
Millet et al [30], 2012	20	42	85	86	24±3	69±7*	22±3	23±4	116±8	128±10*	67±7	71±7*	none
Donato et al [8], 2011	16	22	25	32	25±4	64±5*	24±3	28±5*	111±12	126±14*	71±8	78±9*	none
Westby et al [24], 2011	14	14	0	0	25±4	61±7*	24±2	26±2*	114±11	125±11*	66±7	78±7*	none
Kirby et al [16], 2010	13	13	38	38	21±4	66±11*	22±2	24±3*	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	none
Tew et al [19], 2010	15	14	20	29	27±2	65±6*	25	27	119±12	124±12	75±9	79±7	none
Donato et al [6], 2009	15	18	0	0	21±4	62±4*	25±4	26±4*	117±8	124±8*	63±8	78±8*	none
Nicholson et al [31], 2009	10	10	40	40	29±9	68±4*	24±3	25±2	116±16	122±13	62±8	69±12	none
Kirby et al [17], 2009	14	14	36	36	22±4	65±7*	25±3	24±3	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	none
Donato et al [32], 2008	11	14	18	29	23±7	64±4*	24±2	26±3	110±10	123±11*	71±7	78±7*	none
Galetta et al [9], 2006	16	16	50	31	27±2	65±4*	23±2	24±2	118±7	122±6	75±3	80±2*	none
Al-Shaer et al [21], 2006	15	17	47	24	22±4	62±12*	25±4	28±4*	116±12	126±12*	67±12	78±8*	none
Newcomer et al [33], 2005	8	8	0	0	24±6	67±6*	25±3	26±3	113±11	129±8*	74±11	81±8	none
Weverling-Rijnsburger et al [34], 2004	7	8	0	0	22	80*	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	none
Ahlers et al [14], 2004	14	10	0	0	23±3	62±7*	N/A	N/A	118±11	120±19	74±11	72±13	none
Smith et al [35], 2003	10	20	0	0	28±3	62±4*	25±5	29±3	115±9	124±9	64±9	81±9*	none
Minson et al [18], 2002	10	10	50	50	22±6	77±16*	24±3	24±3	120±13	137±19*	71±9	79±13	none
DeSouza et al [15], 2002	22	41	0	0	28±5	61±6*	23±6	27±4*	114±14	122±13*	65±9	76±13*	none
Wang et al [20], 2002	12	10	0	0	24±3	67±3*	22±5	23±4	127±17	139±22	77±10	73±16	none
Taddei et al [23], 2000	12	12	33	33	27±2	63±6*	23±4	24±4	119±5	119±6	77±3	78±3	none
Gerhard et al [22], 1996	11	7	N/A	N/A	20–29	60–69*	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	none
Mean	13	16	23	23	24	66	24	26	116	126	70	77	–

Data are n, % of females, mean or mean ± SD. One study presented two groups of older subjects, each of which had been independently compared with a young group [43], thus they were evaluated as individual studies (distinguished by A and B).

^*significantly different from young group at P<0.05

BMI, body mass index; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; OLD, older group; SBP, systolic blood pressure; SMF, smooth muscle function; YNG, young group