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Inverse Relationship between Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index and Body Mass Index in Healthy Children

Ranjit Philip1, Bruce S Alpert1, Andreas Schwingshackl1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|May 25, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) reveals ethnic differences in childhood vascular stiffness. Overweight children showed lower CAVI scores, suggesting early vascular adaptation to obesity and potential cardiovascular disease risk.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric vascular health
  • Cardiovascular risk assessment in children
  • Arterial stiffness measurement

Background:

  • Vascular stiffness, measured by cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), is a key indicator of cardiovascular health.
  • Reference values for CAVI in healthy children are not well-established.
  • Understanding ethnic and weight-related differences in pediatric arterial stiffness is crucial for early risk identification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Establish reference CAVI scores in healthy children aged 10-18 years.
  • Investigate racial and ethnic variations in pediatric CAVI.
  • Compare CAVI scores between normal weight and overweight children.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 292 children (aged 10-18 years) including non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics.
  • Children were categorized into normal weight (BMI <85th percentile) and overweight (BMI >85th percentile) groups.
  • Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) and blood pressure (BP) were measured in all participants.

Main Results:

  • After adjusting for age, sex, and BMI, normal weight Black males exhibited significantly higher CAVI scores compared to Hispanic and White males (P = .04).
  • Body mass index (BMI) showed an inverse association with CAVI scores (r = -0.335, P < .0001).
  • BMI and CAVI scores were significant predictors of each other, and CAVI was independent of concurrent BP values.

Conclusions:

  • Significant ethnic variations in vascular function (CAVI) exist among children.
  • Overweight children demonstrated lower CAVI scores, indicating potential vascular adaptation to obesity.
  • CAVI serves as a valuable noninvasive tool for identifying children at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease.
Abstract

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