Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Target Organ Damage in Adolescents: The SHIP AHOY Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pediatric Health
• Metabolic Syndrome

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease in adults is linked to adverse metabolic phenotypes.
• Childhood risk factors for cardiovascular disease can persist into adulthood.
• Less is known about cardiovascular risk factors and target organ damage in adolescents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if a metabolic phenotype predicts cardiovascular changes in adolescents.
• To assess the association between cardiovascular risk factors and target organ damage in adolescents.

Main Methods:

• Data collected from 379 adolescents (mean age 15.5, 60% male) with elevated blood pressure.
• Assessed number of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs): hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, insulin resistance.
• Used generalized linear models to associate CVRFs with target organ damage (left ventricular mass, cardiac function, pulse wave velocity, renal function).

Main Results:

• The number of CVRFs was associated with increased left ventricular mass index, pulse wave velocity, and urine albumin to creatinine ratio.
• CVRFs were linked to decreased peak longitudinal strain and echocardiographic parameters of diastolic dysfunction.
• Dyslipidemia and insulin resistance were independently associated with diastolic dysfunction markers; hypertension was associated with all target organ damage markers.

Conclusions:

• The number of CVRFs present is independently associated with early changes in target organ damage markers during adolescence.
• Early identification and management of CVRFs in adolescents are crucial for preventing cardiovascular disease progression.