Impaired endothelial function in preadolescent children with type 1 diabetes

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Published on: October 15, 2010

Ghufran S Babar1, Hanaa Zidan, Michael E Widlansky

  • 1Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.

Diabetes Care
|February 4, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Preadolescent children with type 1 diabetes show early signs of vascular inflammation and impaired blood vessel function, indicating increased future cardiovascular risk. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring vascular health in young diabetics.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Cardiovascular Research
  • Vascular Biology

Background:

  • Type 1 diabetes (T1D) in children can lead to long-term complications, including cardiovascular disease.
  • Early detection of vascular dysfunction and inflammation is crucial for risk stratification in pediatric T1D.
  • Endothelial dysfunction and systemic inflammation are recognized predictors of future cardiovascular events.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess endothelial dysfunction using flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT).
  • To investigate vascular inflammatory biomarkers in preadolescent children with T1D.
  • To establish the relationship between T1D, inflammation, and early vascular changes.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 21 preadolescent children with T1D and 15 healthy siblings.
  • Measurements included fasting plasma glucose (FPG), HbA1c, lipid profile, hs-CRP, fibrinogen, homocysteine, and RBC folate.
  • Vascular assessment via high-resolution ultrasound for c-IMT and brachial artery FMD%.

Main Results:

  • Children with T1D exhibited higher FPG, HbA1c, and hs-CRP levels compared to controls.
  • No significant differences were observed in BMI, homocysteine, fibrinogen, RBC folate, or c-IMT between groups.
  • Preadolescent T1D patients demonstrated significantly lower FMD% (indicating endothelial dysfunction) than healthy siblings.

Conclusions:

  • Preadolescent children with T1D show evidence of low-grade vascular inflammation and reduced FMD.
  • Endothelial dysfunction and systemic inflammation are present early in T1D, even before structural changes like increased c-IMT.
  • These findings suggest that early cardiovascular risk is established in childhood T1D, necessitating proactive management.
Abstract

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