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Non-invasive Assessment of Microvascular and Endothelial Function
05:41

Non-invasive Assessment of Microvascular and Endothelial Function

Published on: January 29, 2013

Lower skin capillary density, normal endothelial function and higher blood pressure in children born preterm

A-K E Bonamy1, H Martin, G Jörneskog

  • 1Department of Woman and Child Health, Danderyd Hospital, Division of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. anna-karin.edstedt.bonamy@ki.se

Journal of Internal Medicine
|November 8, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Children born very preterm exhibit lower functional capillary density and higher blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). These findings highlight early cardiovascular changes in preterm infants, warranting further investigation into long-term health implications.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Neonatology

Background:

  • Preterm birth is a known risk factor for elevated blood pressure (BP) in childhood.
  • The underlying mechanisms linking preterm birth to later hypertension remain unclear.
  • Reduced skin capillary density and impaired endothelial function are observed in adults with hypertension.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the early associations between blood pressure (BP), skin capillary density, and endothelial function in children born very preterm.
  • To compare these parameters between very preterm children and term-born controls.

Main Methods:

  • A clinical follow-up study involving 60 healthy children (7-12 years old), including 39 born very preterm (mean gestational age 29 weeks) and 21 term-born controls.
  • Intravital video-microscopy was used to measure dermal capillary density.
  • Laser-Doppler velocimetry assessed endothelial function via skin perfusion response to acetylcholine, an endothelium-dependent vasodilator.
  • Brachial blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded.

Main Results:

  • Children born very preterm demonstrated significantly lower functional capillary density compared to term controls (89.9 vs. 96.6 capillaries/mm²).
  • Systolic BP and heart rate were higher in the very preterm group, but did not correlate with capillary density.
  • Endothelial function did not differ between the groups and showed no correlation with capillary density.

Conclusions:

  • Very preterm birth is associated with reduced functional skin capillary density and elevated BP and HR in school-aged children.
  • These early physiological differences may have long-term implications for cardiovascular health.
  • Longitudinal studies are essential to elucidate the long-term significance of these findings.
Abstract

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