Association between Carotid Intima Media Thickness, Age, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Children and Adolescents

Vasu D. Gooty*, Alan R. Sinaiko, Justin R. Ryder, Donald R. Dengel, David R. Jacobs, Julia Steinberger

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Measures of carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) in adults are correlated with adiposity and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and predict cardiovascular (CV) events. Relations in children are not as well studied. Our objective was to determine the relations of cIMT with body mass index (BMI) and CV risk score in children. Methods: The study included 291 children (158 M/133 F) 6-18 years of age (140 aged 6-11/151 aged 12-18) with measurements of height, weight, waist circumference; fasting lipids, glucose, insulin, and cIMT. A CV risk cluster score was developed from sum of the z-scores of the five MetS components (waist circumference, blood pressure, serum triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and insulin). Partial Pearson correlation coefficients were adjusted for age, sex, and race. Results: There was no significant age difference in cIMT from 6 to 18 years of age. BMI and CV risk score were significantly correlated (P < 0.0001), and both were correlated with cIMT (r = 0.14, P = 0.02 and r = 0.16, P = 0.006, respectively). Slight age-related differences in associations of cIMT with CV risk score and BMI were explained by unusual values in a few children. Conclusions: These cross-sectional data in normal children show that cIMT was stable from childhood into adolescence. However, both BMI and CV risk score had small, but significant positive correlations with cIMT. Therefore, maintaining normal levels of adiposity and other risk variables may be useful in preventing early changes associated with preclinical atherosclerosis.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)122-126
Number of pages5
JournalMetabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders
Volume16
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2018

Funding

National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases R01DK072124 ( J.S.), the National Center for Research Resources Grants 1UL1RR033183 to the University of Minnesota Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and the General Clinical Research Center Program M01-RR00400, and T32DK 65519)–Dr. J.S., MD, MS.

Keywords

  • BMI
  • adiposity
  • adolescent
  • cIMT
  • cardiovascular risk
  • children

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Internal Medicine
  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Association between Carotid Intima Media Thickness, Age, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Children and Adolescents'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this