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Arterial stiffness is increased in asthmatic children
Markus Steinmann1, Chiara Abbas, Florian Singer
1Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland, markustimosteinmann@gmail.com.
European Journal of Pediatrics
|September 25, 2014
Summary
Children with asthma show increased arterial stiffness, a cardiovascular risk factor. This suggests asthma severity negatively impacts children's cardiovascular health.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Respiratory Medicine
- Vascular Physiology
Background:
- Altered arterial stiffness is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Chronic inflammation, prevalent in asthma, may contribute to increased arterial stiffness.
- Asthma in children is characterized by fluctuating airway and systemic inflammation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether children with asthma exhibit increased arterial stiffness.
- To correlate arterial stiffness with airway inflammation and obstruction in asthmatic children.
Main Methods:
- Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWVcf) was measured in 37 children with mild-to-moderate asthma.
- PWVcf was compared to a control group of 65 healthy children.
- PWVcf was correlated with lung function parameters (FEV1) and inflammatory markers (FeNO).
Main Results:
- Asthmatic children had significantly higher PWVcf compared to healthy controls (4.7 m/s vs. 4.3 m/s, p < 0.0001).
- Increased PWVcf in asthmatic children was inversely associated with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (r² = 0.20, p = 0.004).
- This association remained significant after adjusting for confounders like BMI, blood pressure, and steroid use.
Conclusions:
- Children with mild-to-moderate asthma exhibit increased arterial stiffness.
- The link between reduced lung function and heightened arterial stiffness indicates that asthma severity adversely affects the cardiovascular system in children.
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