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Changes in Body Size during Early Growth Are Independently Associated with Arterial Properties in Early Childhood

Juan M Castro1, Mariana Marin1, Agustina Zinoveev1

  • 1Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Centro Universitario de Investigación, Innovación y Diagnóstico Arterial (CUiiDARTE), Universidad de la República, General Flores 2125, 11800 Montevideo, Uruguay.

Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease
|March 6, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Changes in standardized body weight and body weight for height during the first 24 months are linked to arterial structure and hemodynamics in children. These associations remain significant regardless of other factors.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric cardiology
  • Developmental origins of health and disease

Background:

  • Early life nutritional status impacts childhood arterial health.
  • The independent association of specific body size changes with arterial parameters is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare associations between body size changes (Δz-BW, Δz-BH, Δz-BWH, Δz-BMI) across different growth periods (0-36 months) and arterial parameters at age 6 years.
  • To assess if these associations are influenced by cardiovascular risk factors or birth/evaluation body size.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal assessment of anthropometric, hemodynamic, and arterial parameters in 632 children up to age 6 years.
  • Analysis of body size changes (Δz-BW, Δz-BH, Δz-BWH, Δz-BMI) during various growth intervals.
  • Comparison of associations before and after adjusting for cofactors.

Main Results:

  • Body weight (Δz-BW) and body weight for height (Δz-BWH) changes from 0-24 months independently predicted arterial structure at age 6.
  • Including the third year of life (0-36 months) showed Δz-BW predicted hemodynamic variations.
  • Changes in height (Δz-BH) and BMI (Δz-BMI) had weaker associations.

Conclusions:

  • Standardized body weight and body weight for height changes in early childhood are key predictors of arterial structure and hemodynamics.
  • These findings highlight the critical role of early growth patterns in long-term cardiovascular health.

Keywords:
aortic pressurearterial stiffnessbirth weightblood pressurebody size trajectorieschildrenintima–media thickness

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