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A Methodological Approach to Non-invasive Assessments of Vascular Function and Morphology
Published on: February 7, 2015
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Methods to evaluate arterial structure and function in children - State-of-the art knowledge
Piotr Skrzypczyk1, Małgorzata Pańczyk-Tomaszewska1
1Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Advances in Medical Sciences
|May 15, 2017
Summary
Reproducible methods like carotid intima-media thickness ultrasound and pulse wave velocity are essential for assessing pediatric arterial health. These techniques aid in early detection of vascular issues in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Vascular Biology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Rising rates of pediatric hypertension, obesity, and diabetes necessitate reliable methods for evaluating arterial health.
- Accurate assessment of arterial structure and function is crucial in children and adolescents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current methodologies for assessing central, proximal, and coronary arteries in pediatric patients.
- To evaluate the knowledge and limitations of commonly used pediatric vascular assessment techniques.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of MEDLINE/Pubmed for articles published between 2012-2017.
- Review of methods including ultrasound intima-media thickness, coronary calcium scoring, arterial stiffness measurements (pulse wave velocity, pulse wave analysis), ankle-brachial index, and endothelial function tests.
- Inclusion of 139 relevant papers from an initial screening of 1528 records.
Main Results:
- Ultrasound measurement of carotid intima-media thickness and pulse wave velocity are highly reproducible.
- These methods are applicable in research and clinical practice for children aged ≥6 years or height ≥120cm.
- Ambulatory arterial stiffness index shows promise for high-risk pediatric patients.
Conclusions:
- Carotid intima-media thickness and pulse wave velocity are validated, reproducible methods for pediatric vascular assessment.
- Further research is needed to confirm the utility of these and other methods for detecting subclinical arterial damage in children.
- Ambulatory arterial stiffness index is a promising tool for identifying at-risk pediatric populations.
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