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Published on: May 3, 2018
Ambulatory arterial stiffness index is increased in obese children
Mehmet Taşdemir1, Ergin Erginöz2, Özlem Bostan Gayret3
1Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Koç University School of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Obese children show increased arterial stiffness, as measured by the ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI). This easy method helps detect stiffness early for preventive care in pediatric obesity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Vascular Physiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Arterial stiffness is a key indicator of cardiovascular health.
- The ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) quantifies arterial stiffness using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure.
- Increased arterial stiffness is a concern in pediatric populations, particularly those with obesity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the difference in AASI between obese and lean children.
- To assess the utility of AASI as a measure of arterial stiffness in pediatric obesity.
Main Methods:
- AASI was calculated from 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.
- 53 obese children were compared with 42 age-matched healthy lean children.
- High-sensitive C-reactive protein levels were measured to evaluate inflammation.
Main Results:
- Obese children had a significantly higher mean AASI compared to healthy subjects (0.42 ± 0.15 vs. 0.29 ± 0.18, p < 0.001).
- Hypertension was identified in 5.6% of obese children.
- AASI correlated with nighttime systolic blood pressure metrics and nocturnal dipping patterns.
Conclusions:
- This study confirms elevated AASI in obese children, indicating increased arterial stiffness.
- AASI is a practical, cost-effective, and simple method for assessing arterial stiffness.
- Early identification of arterial stiffness in obese children facilitates timely preventive interventions.
Background And Objectives:
One way to measure arterial stiffness is the ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI), which is the relationship between diastolic and systolic ambulatory blood pressure (BP) over 24-hours.
Methods:
We studied the difference in AASI between obese and lean children. AASI was calculated from 24- hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in 53 obese children (33 girls) and compared with age-matched 42 healthy subjects (20 girls). Hypertension was defined according to the criteria of the American Heart Association. To evaluate inflammation, the blood level of high-sensitive C-reactive protein was measured.
Results:
The mean age was 10.6 ± 2.83 years in obese children and 11.3 ± 3.17 years in healthy subjects. Hypertension was determined in three (5.6%) obese children. The median heart rate-SDS, pulse pressure and blood pressure values did not differ between the two groups. The mean AASI was significantly higher in obese children compared to healthy subjects (0.42 ± 0.15 vs. 0.29 ± 0.18, p < 0.001). AASI significantly correlated with nighttime SBP-SDS, nighttime SBP-load, systolic and diastolic nocturnal dipping, with no independent predictor.
Conclusion:
This study confirms that AASI is increased in obese children. AASI calculation is a useful, costeffective, and an easy method to evaluate arterial stiffness. Early detection of increased arterial stiffness can help clinicians come up with preventive measures in the management of patients.
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