[Carotid intima-media thickness; normal values from 4 years]
Antonio de Arriba Muñoz1, María Mercedes Domínguez Cajal, José Ignacio Labarta Aizpún
1Hospital Universitario Infantil Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, España. adearriba@salud.aragon.es
Insights
Carotid intima-media thickness in children correlates with age, weight, height, and BMI, indicating its early use for cardiovascular disease risk assessment. This highlights the importance of lifestyle interventions for children and adolescents.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Vascular Ultrasound
- Cardiovascular Risk Assessment
Background:
- Ultrasound assessment of the common carotid artery is crucial for cardiovascular disease prevention and risk evaluation.
- Increased carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is linked to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular/cerebrovascular diseases in all age groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze auxological data, blood pressure, and carotid intima-media thickness in healthy children.
- To establish correlations between CIMT and anthropometric/hemodynamic parameters in a pediatric cohort.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 202 healthy children aged 4–15 years.
- Measurements included auxological data, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and carotid intima-media thickness via ultrasound.
Main Results:
- No significant sex-based differences in CIMT were observed.
- Positive correlations were found between CIMT and age (r=0.229, p<0.05), weight (r=0.228, p<0.05), height (r=0.265, p<0.01), and BMI (r=0.212, p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- CIMT measurement via ultrasound aids in early identification and monitoring of cardiovascular disease in children and adolescents.
- Promoting healthy lifestyles (diet, exercise) is vital for reducing cardiovascular risk in pediatric populations.
Introduction:
The study of the common carotid artery using ultrasound, ever has greater significance for the prevention, treatment and evaluation of the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Increased intima-media thickness is associated with the presence of other cardiovascular, cerebrovascular disease and the development of atherosclerosis in both adults and pediatric populations.
Material And Methods:
A cross-sectional study in 202 healthy children aged between 4 and 15 years. It has been analyzed auxological data, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and carotid intima-media thickness.
Results:
There are 100 men and 102 women, with no differences among them about sex; it is shown graphical representations of the values of carotid intima-media thickness in the total sample and by gender. There is a positive correlation between carotid intima-media thickness with age (r = 0.229, p < 0.05), weight (r = 0.228, p < 0.05), height (r = 0.265, p > 0.01) and BMI (r = 0.212, p < 0.05).
Discussion:
Identification of modifiable risk factors should be our priority in clinical practice. Thus, in any health program it should be focused on reducing cardiovascular risk in children and adolescents by promoting a lifestyle of healthy eating and regularly physical exercise. Ultrasound measurement of carotid intima-media thickness is an added factor for an early identification of cardiovascular disease and its evolution in both adult and pediatric population.
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