Association between Brachial-Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Healthy Adolescents

Objective

To investigate the associations between cardiovascular risk factors and arterial stiffness, measured as brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), in healthy adolescents.

Study design

In this cross-sectional study, 178 male and 84 female adolescents, aged 12 to 18 years, were recruited. Total homocysteine levels, serum lipid profiles, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, fasting glucose levels, fasting insulin levels, and baPWV were measured.

Results

baPWV was significantly higher in male adolescents than in female adolescents. In both sex groups, baPWV was positively correlated with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, fasting insulin levels, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, triglyceride levels, hs-CRP levels, and total homocysteine levels. In male adolescents, age, total cholesterol level, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and white blood cell counts were positively correlated with baPWV, and, in female adolescents, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were negatively correlated with baPWV. In multivariate analysis, sex, mean blood pressure, BMI, and total homocysteine levels were found to be independent factors associated with baPWV.

Conclusion

Blood pressure, BMI, sex, and total homocysteine levels were independently associated with arterial stiffness, measured as baPWV, in healthy adolescents, suggesting that these risk factors may be associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis in adolescents.

Abbreviations: baPWV, Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, BMI, Body mass index, CV, Cardiovascular, HDL-C, High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HOMA-IR, Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, hs-CRP, High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, IMT, Intima-media thickness, LDL-C, Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, PWV, Pulse wave velocity, WHR, Waist-hip ratio