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Emerging evidence for accelerated ageing and cardiovascular disease in individuals with cerebral palsy

Patrick G McPhee1, Maureen J MacDonald, Jem L Cheng

  • 1School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, L7T 3Z6 Hamilton, Canada. mcpheepg@mcmaster.ca.

Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
|May 24, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Individuals with cerebral palsy show faster progression of cardiovascular disease risk factors at a younger age than the general population. Traditional risk factors remained unchanged, while non-traditional ones worsened over four years.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Neurology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Cerebral palsy (CP) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  • Longitudinal data on CVD risk factors in adults with CP are limited.
  • Understanding these changes is crucial for preventative strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To track changes in traditional and non-traditional CVD risk factors in individuals with CP over time.
  • To explore the relationship between age, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels, and CVD risk in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal cohort study followed 28 individuals with CP (GMFCS levels I-V) for a mean of 4.0 years.
  • Assessed traditional risk factors (waist circumference, systolic blood pressure) and non-traditional factors (carotid artery intima media thickness, distensibility, pulse wave velocity, flow-mediated dilation).

Main Results:

  • Flow-mediated dilation decreased significantly (absolute and relative measures).
  • Carotid artery intima media thickness increased significantly.
  • No significant changes were observed in traditional risk factors; age predicted intima media thickness changes.

Conclusions:

  • Individuals with CP experience accelerated progression of non-traditional CVD risk factors compared to the general population.
  • These detrimental changes occur at a younger age in individuals with CP.
  • Findings highlight the need for early and targeted cardiovascular monitoring in adults with CP.
Abstract

Keywords:
arterial stiffnesscardiovascular diseasecerebral palsyrisk factor, endothelial function

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