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Evaluation of aortic intima-media thickness in newborns with Down syndrome
Dilek Sarici1, Selim Kurtoglu2, Serdar Umit Sarici3
1Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Keçiören Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
Newborns with Down syndrome (DS) show no significant differences in aortic intima-media thickness (aIMT), lipid profiles, or blood pressure compared to healthy infants. Further research is needed to explore aIMT variations based on congenital heart defects in DS patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Cardiology
- Genetics
Background:
- Children with Down syndrome (DS) benefit from focused healthcare, particularly for common cardiac issues.
- Congenital heart defects are prevalent in DS, necessitating updated medical guidelines.
- Early detection and management of cardiovascular risks are crucial for improving outcomes in DS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare aortic intima-media thickness (aIMT), lipid profiles, and blood pressure in newborns with DS versus a control group.
- To establish baseline cardiovascular indicators in neonates with Down syndrome.
Main Methods:
- Measurements included serum lipid concentrations (total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglyceride), blood pressure, and abdominal aIMT.
- Participants were newborns with DS and age- and gender-matched controls without DS.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant differences were observed in aIMT between the DS group and the control group.
- Lipid profiles and blood pressure levels did not significantly differ between the two groups of newborns.
- This study is the first to investigate aIMT in DS patients, finding no immediate increase.
Conclusions:
- Newborns with DS do not exhibit significantly altered aIMT, lipid profiles, or blood pressure compared to their non-DS counterparts.
- The findings suggest that common atherosclerosis indicators are not elevated at birth in DS infants.
- Future studies should investigate potential links between specific congenital heart defects and aIMT variations within the DS population.
Background:
Health care programs for children with Down syndrome (DS) help improve the overall outcome and quality of life of these children. It is therefore very important to focus on the most common and serious problems of these patients, such as congenital heart defects and cardiac problems, and to keep medical guidelines updated with regard to these problems.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to evaluate aortic intima-media thickness (aIMT), lipid profiles and blood pressure in DS patients in comparison with a control group of ageand gender-matched neonates without DS.
Material And Methods:
Serum concentrations of lipids (total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride), blood pressure and abdominal aIMT were measured in newborns with DS, and compared with the measurements from ageand gender-matched newborns without DS.
Results:
No statistically significant differences between the 2 groups of newborns were detected with respect to aIMT, lipid levels or blood pressure.
Conclusions:
This study represents the first investigation of aIMT - one of the most important indicators of atherosclerosis - in DS patients, but neither a significantly increased aIMT, nor any significant changes in lipid profiles or blood pressure were detected in this group of patients. Whether aIMT differs according to the type of congenital heart defect (such as atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, and atrioventricular septal defect) among DS patients remains to be determined in future studies.
