Abstract
Correction to: Scientific Reports, published online 19 May 2023 The original PDF version of this Article contained formatting errors in Equation 10. (Formula presented.) now reads: Additionally, the Funding section in the original version of this Article was omitted. The Funding section now reads: “This research was funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (programme grant 17/608) and National Heart Foundation of New Zealand (project 1834).” The original Article has been corrected. © 2023, Springer Nature Limited.

Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify and validate distinct patterns of vascular aging, focusing on a novel high-risk vascular aging (HRVA) cluster. Key biomarkers such as aortic pulse wave velocity, glycated hemoglobin, pulse pressure, and advanced glycation end-products were used to enhance cardiovascular risk stratification and explore implications for targeted interventions. Data from multiple studies were integrated, and K-means clustering identified three vascular aging patterns: healthy vascular aging (HVA), early vascular aging (EVA), and high-risk vascular aging (HRVA). ROC analysis determined optimal thresholds for key biomarkers. ANOVA and Chi-square tests evaluated differences and associations across clusters, supported by contingency tables and residual analysis. The HRVA cluster exhibited significantly elevated biomarker levels compared to the HVA and EVA clusters. Statistically significant differences were observed across clusters (p <=\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\le $$\end{document} 0.001), confirmed by ANOVA. Chi-square tests revealed strong associations between cluster membership and categorical variables, further validating the distinct profiles. The HRVA group demonstrated a particularly high risk of adverse cardiovascular events, emphasizing the clinical relevance. The identification of the HRVA cluster provides new insights into vascular aging, suggesting the need for intensive, personalized interventions. Future research should focus on validating these clusters longitudinally and exploring genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors to improve cardiovascular outcomes.