title: Evaluation of carotid artery stiffness in obese children using ultrasound radiofrequency data technology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goals of this study were to investigate the difference in carotid arterial stiffness in obese children compared to healthy children and to study the correlation between carotid arterial stiffness parameters and obesity using ultrasound (US) radiofrequency (RF) data technology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Carotid artery stiffness parameters, including the compliance coefficient, stiffness index, and pulse wave velocity, were evaluated in 71 obese patients and 47 healthy controls with US RF data technology. In addition, all participants were evaluated for fat thickness in the paraumbilical abdominal wall and fatty liver using abdominal US.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the control group, the blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), fat thickness in the paraumbilical abdominal wall, presence of fatty liver, and carotid stiffness parameters (stiffness index and pulse wave velocity) were significantly higher in the obese group, whereas the compliance coefficient was significantly lower in the obese group. Furthermore, the pulse wave velocity was weakly positively correlated with the BMI, systolic BP, diastolic BP, and paraumbilical abdominal wall fat thickness, whereas the compliance coefficient was weakly negatively correlated with the systolic BP, BMI, and paraumbilical abdominal wall fat thickness. The presence of a fatty liver was moderately positively correlated with the BMI and weakly positively correlated with the pulse wave velocity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrasound RF data technology may be a sensitive noninvasive method that can be used to accurately and quantitatively detect the difference in carotid artery stiffness in obese children compared to healthy children. The detection of carotid functional abnormalities and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in obese children should allow early therapeutic intervention, which may prevent or delay the development of atherosclerosis in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasound, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 200092 Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Yaqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qingya
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Mingbo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Wenying
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014159:Transducers; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D059289:Vascular Stiffness