Cor Vasa 2016, 58(6):e623-e630 | DOI: 10.1016/j.crvasa.2016.03.007

The importance of pulse wave velocity measurement in paediatric population with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases - Type 1 diabetes and chronic kidney disease

Terezie Šuláková^a,*, Janusz Feber^b, Jiří Strnadel^a, Jan Pavlíček^a, Barbora Obermannová^c, Lenka Petruželková^c, Tomáš Seeman^c, Zdeněk Šumník^c

^a Klinika dětského lékařství, Lékařská fakulta Ostravské univerzity a Fakultní nemocnice Ostrava, Ostrava, Česká republika

^b Children Hospital of Eastern Ontario Ottawa and University of Ottawa, Ontario, Kanada

^c Pediatrická klinika, 2. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy a Fakultní nemocnice v Motole, Praha, Česká republika

Arterial stiffness reflects the rigidity of the arterial wall. The studies in adult patients confirmed that arterial stiffness is a marker and risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Non-invasive methods for arterial stiffness measurement as pulse wave velocity have been increasingly used in both the research and clinical practices to determine arterial stiffness also in the paediatric population. With widespread use of these non-invasive techniques use in children and adolescents, the knowledge of factors and conditions associated with arterial stiffening has expanded rapidly over the last years. These factors include traditional cardiovascular risk factors as well as other conditions, e.g. prenatal growth restriction, metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, vasculitides and vasculopathies associated with various syndromes, congenital heart disease, and several systemic diseases. Early identification of increased arterial stiffness in childhood may lead to early intervention. However, interventional longitudinal studies will be necessary for determination whether improvement of arterial function in normal and at-risk paediatric populations will be associated with lowering of cardiovascular risk in the early adulthood.

Keywords: Arterial stiffness; Blood pressure; Children; Chronic kidney disease; Diabetes mellitus; Hypertension; Obesity; Pulse wave velocity

Received: January 24, 2016; Revised: March 18, 2016; Accepted: March 30, 2016; Published: December 1, 2016  Show citation