FIGURE 2.

Age-related differences of flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) in healthy adults (A) stratified by percentile of peak oxygen consumption ($\stackrel{.}{\text{V}}$O₂peak) and (B) predicted difference between FMD in the lowest-fit ($\stackrel{.}{\text{V}}$O₂peak ≤3rd percentile) and FMD in the highest fit ($\stackrel{.}{\text{V}}$O₂peak ≥97th percentile) individuals. There are no differences associated with cardiorespiratory fitness until the age of 30 (women) and 50 years (men). Afterward, models predict a lower FMD at old age of 7% in very low-fit men (maximum age-related difference of 41% if $\stackrel{.}{\text{V}}$O₂peak ≥97th percentile versus 48% if $\stackrel{.}{\text{V}}$O₂peak ≤3rd percentile) and of 9% in very low-fit women (36% versus 45%). Absolute mean differences of FMD between $\stackrel{.}{\text{V}}$O₂peak percentiles ≤3rd versus ≥97th deviate from 0 in tendency at middle and old age (maximum 0.75%, 95% confidence intervals –0.8 – 2.3% (men) and –1.0 – 2.5% (women)). C3, 15, 50, 85, and 97 = $\stackrel{.}{\text{V}}$O₂peak percentiles (3rd, 15th, 50th, 85th, and 97th).