Body Composition, Body Mass, and Cardiovascular Health in Mid-Childhood and Midlife: A Compositional Data Analysis

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular health
• Pediatric health
• Body composition analysis

Background:

• Cardiovascular (CV) health tracks from childhood into adulthood.
• Understanding the interplay between body composition and CV health in both children and parents is crucial for early intervention.
• Previous studies have not fully elucidated the combined effects of body mass and specific fat distribution on CV markers across generations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the associations of large and small artery measures with body composition and body mass in children and their parents.
• To examine these associations both separately and in combination.
• To compare CV health markers between normal-weight children and those with obesity.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of the Child Health CheckPoint study data.
• Measurement of weight, height, body composition (truncal fat, non-truncal fat, fat-free mass [FFM]), and CV functional/structural outcomes.
• Application of compositional data analyses to assess relationships between body composition, body mass, and CV measures.

Main Results:

• In both children and adults, higher body mass, increased truncal and non-truncal fat, and lower FFM were associated with adverse CV measurements.
• Children with obesity exhibited poorer CV measures compared to normal-weight peers, primarily due to higher body mass and lower FFM.
• Observed relationships were consistent across generations, with stronger associations noted in parents.

Conclusions:

• Poorer CV health in both children and parents is significantly associated with higher body mass and lower FFM.
• Higher percentages of truncal and non-truncal fat also contribute to adverse CV outcomes, though to a lesser extent.
• Future research should investigate weight reduction interventions focusing on FFM preservation to improve CV health precursors.