Tracking arterial stiffness from childhood to adolescence: the role of adiposity and cardiometabolic factors.

Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity increased significantly from childhood to adolescence.

• PWV rose from 5.01 ± 0.47 m/s at ages 8-9 years to 6.30 ± 1.05 m/s at ages 13-14 years.
• The increase was statistically significant (p < 0.001).
• The study included 118 participants from the Generation XXI cohort in Porto, Portugal.
• PWV was measured at both time points using a validated portable device.

Overweight/obese adolescents had significantly higher PWV than non-overweight peers at ages 13-14 years.

• BMI classification followed World Health Organization references.
• The difference in PWV between overweight/obese and non-overweight groups was statistically significant at the 13-14 year assessment.
• No such comparison result was specifically reported for the 8-9 year time point in the abstract.

PWV at ages 13-14 years correlated positively with multiple cardiometabolic and anthropometric variables.

• Positive correlations were found between PWV at 13-14 years and BMI, BMI z-score, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and fasting glucose.
• Fasting blood samples were collected for lipid profile, glucose, and insulin.
• Office blood pressure and anthropometric data were also collected at both time points.

Early childhood PWV and concurrent adolescent adiposity were independent predictors of arterial stiffness in early adolescence.

• In adjusted models, PWV at 8-9 years was an independent predictor of PWV at 13-14 years (β = 0.39; p = 0.039).
• BMI z-score at 13-14 years was also an independent predictor of PWV at 13-14 years (β = 0.33; p < 0.001).
• These findings indicate vascular tracking from childhood as well as a concurrent effect of adiposity on arterial stiffness.
• The study design was longitudinal, allowing assessment of tracking over approximately 5 years.

The study was a longitudinal follow-up of children from the Generation XXI cohort assessed at two developmental time points.

• 118 participants were included from the Generation XXI cohort based in Porto, Portugal.
• Participants were assessed at ages 8-9 years (prepubertal) and again at ages 13-14 years (early adolescence).
• Measurements included carotid-femoral PWV, anthropometrics, office blood pressure, and fasting blood samples for lipids, glucose, and insulin at both time points.