Pulse Wave Velocity and Autonomic Modulation Across Physical Activity Levels in Youth: Evidence From the Epi-Family...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric cardiovascular health
• Autonomic nervous system function
• Cardiovascular risk factors in youth

Background:

• Childhood cardiovascular risk factors can persist into adulthood, increasing long-term morbidity and mortality.
• Arterial stiffness (PWV) and impaired cardiac autonomic modulation (CAM) are early indicators of cardiovascular dysfunction.
• The interplay between PWV, CAM, and physical activity during development requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between pulse wave velocity (PWV) and cardiac autonomic modulation (CAM) in children and adolescents.
• To investigate the influence of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on the relationship between PWV and CAM.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 169 participants (mean age 10.5 years).
• Assessed PWV using the Arteris AOP device and CAM via heart rate variability indices (SDNN, RMSSD, LF, HF, SD1, SD2).
• Measured MVPA using Actigraph GT3-X accelerometers and analyzed associations using quantile regression.

Main Results:

• PWV was inversely associated with RMSSD and SD1, indicating lower parasympathetic modulation with higher arterial stiffness.
• These associations were attenuated after adjusting for MVPA.
• The PWV-RMSSD association remained borderline significant, while the PWV-SD1 association became non-significant with MVPA adjustment.

Conclusions:

• Higher arterial stiffness in youth is associated with reduced parasympathetic modulation.
• Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may partially mitigate the negative impact of arterial stiffness on autonomic function in young individuals.
• Physical activity could play a protective role in early cardiovascular health by influencing the relationship between arterial stiffness and autonomic modulation.