Associations of Accumulating Physical Activity and Sedentary Time From Childhood to Adolescence With Arterial Stiffness and Structure in Adolescence-An 8-Year Follow-Up Study.
Laitinen E, Soininen S, et al. • Pediatric exercise science • 2026
No statistically significant associations were found between cumulative PA or sedentary time and arterial stiffness or structure in the complete sample or in boys, but in girls higher cumulative PA, especially moderate to vigorous PA, was associated with lower arterial stiffness at 8 years.
Key Findings
Results
In the complete sample and in boys, cumulative physical activity and sedentary time from childhood to adolescence were not significantly associated with arterial stiffness or structure in adolescence.
175 children (83 girls) participated; average baseline age was 7.6 (0.4) y.
Outcomes were carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, cardio-ankle vascular index, carotid artery distensibility and carotid intima-media thickness.
The abstract reports 'No statistically significant associations were found in the complete sample or in boys (P > .05)'.
Linear regression models were adjusted for age and sex, and separately for systolic blood pressure, body fat percentage, and pubertal stage.
Results
In girls, higher cumulative physical activity energy expenditure was associated with lower carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity at the 8-year follow-up.
β = -0.260; 95% CI, -0.495 to -0.025.
Exposure was computed as area under the curve across baseline, 2-year and 8-year measurements.
Physical activity energy expenditure was estimated using a combined accelerometer and heart rate monitor.
Results
In girls, higher cumulative moderate to vigorous physical activity was associated with lower carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity at 8 years.
β = -0.341; 95% CI, -0.570 to -0.112.
Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was assessed using impedance cardiography.
The association was seen in girls only, not in the complete sample or boys.
Results
In girls, higher cumulative moderate to vigorous physical activity was associated with lower cardio-ankle vascular index at 8 years.
β = -0.346; 95% CI, -0.573 to -0.118.
Cardio-ankle vascular index was assessed using impedance cardiography.
Models were adjusted for age and separately for systolic blood pressure, body fat percentage, and pubertal stage.
Conclusions
The authors interpret the findings as indicating that higher PA, especially moderate to vigorous PA, may slow arterial stiffening in girls, whereas boys may already be active beyond levels yielding further benefit.
The sex-specific pattern is the basis for this interpretation.
The study followed children for 8 years, with accelerometer and heart rate monitoring at baseline, 2 years and 8 years.
What This Means
This study followed 175 Finnish children (83 girls) from about age 7.6 for 8 years. Researchers measured their physical activity and sedentary time at the start, after 2 years, and after 8 years using a device combining an accelerometer and heart rate monitor. In adolescence, they assessed how stiff and thick the arteries were using impedance cardiography and ultrasound.
Across the whole group and in boys alone, no statistically significant links were found between how active or sedentary children were over the years and artery stiffness or structure. In girls, however, more total physical activity energy expenditure and especially more moderate to vigorous activity over the years were linked to lower arterial stiffness at age about 15–16, on two of the measures (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and cardio-ankle vascular index).
This research suggests that physical activity, particularly moderate to vigorous activity, may help slow arterial stiffening in girls, while boys in this sample may already have been active enough that more activity gave no further measurable benefit. The study is observational, so it cannot prove cause and effect, and the sample was fairly small, so the findings should be interpreted cautiously.
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Laitinen E, Soininen S, Leppänen M, Lintu N, Bond B, Kähönen M, et al.. (2026). Associations of Accumulating Physical Activity and Sedentary Time From Childhood to Adolescence With Arterial Stiffness and Structure in Adolescence-An 8-Year Follow-Up Study.. Pediatric exercise science. https://doi.org/10.1123/pes.2025-0177