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Background. Aortic stiffness is a marker of vascular ageing. Non-conventional risk markers reflecting vascular ageing are largely unexplored. We aimed to investigate the relationship between self-perceived age (SPA) and self-rated health (SRH) with aortic stiffness in the general population.

Methods. Cross-sectional assessment of 3760 participants from two Swedish population-based cohorts (mean age 43.5 ± 14.5 years, 53.4% women). Participants completed two self-administered questions about SPA (SPA-self referring to SPA perceived by oneself, and SPA-others referring to SPA perceived by others) graded as: younger, no difference, or older than same-aged/sex peers. SRH was graded as poor versus good. Aortic stiffness (vascular ageing) was assessed by carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV). Linear regression was performed stratified by the median age of 45 years.

Results. Chronologically younger men and women ≤45 years with older SPA-others had unexpectedly lower PWV (β − 0.39, p < .001 and β − 0.40, p < .001, respectively), independently of cardiovascular risk factors and social health determinants, compared with subjects with younger SPA-others. Lower PWV was also observed in women ≤45 years with older SPA-self (β − 0.24 m/s, p = .005) compared with younger SPA-self, but not in men. A similar pattern between SPA-self, SPA-others and PWV was found in chronologically younger subjects ≤45 years reporting good SRH. On the contrary, chronologically older subjects >45 years reporting poor SRH, with older SPA-others had increased vascular ageing (PWV β 2.57, p = .03).

Conclusions. Self-perceived age is a subjective cognitive variable inversely associated with vascular ageing particularly among chronologically younger adults ≤45 years.