title: Arterial stiffness and SBP variability in children and adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to explore the impact of ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) parameters on arterial stiffness measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) in children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 138 consecutive young patients (age range 4-20 years) referred to our hypertension center. Office blood pressure (BP), 24-h ABP monitoring and cf-PWV measurements were performed in all patients. Family history and smoking habits were also recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the study population, 10.6% had cf-PWV values equal to or higher than the 95th percentile of the study population. cf-PWV was higher in the hypertensive compared to the normotensive patients, classified by ABP levels even after adjustment for age and sex. Significant correlations were found between cf-PWV and age, weight, height, estimated central pulse pressure (PP), office SBP and DBP, and ABP parameters including 24-h SBP and DBP, weighted 24-h SBP variability, 24-h SBP and DBP load, 24-h mean arterial pressure (MAP), daytime and night-time SBP, daytime and night-time SBP variability, but not with office and 24-h heart rate, 24-h heart rate variability, 24-h daytime and night-time PP, DBP variability, ambulatory arterial stiffeness index and BMI z-score. In analysis of covariance, only weighted 24-h SBP variability (β = 0.28, P < 0.05) and daytime SBP variability (β = 0.15, P < 0.05) were the independent determinants of cf-PWV in children and adolescents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data may suggest that increased SBP variability is closely associated with arterial stiffness in children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: a1st Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokratio Hospital bHypertension-24 h ABPM ESH Center of Excellence, 3rd Department of Medicine c4th Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece dUniversity of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stabouli
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Papakatsika
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kotronis
authors.forename: Kyriaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Papadopoulou-Legbelou
authors.forename: Zoe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rizos
authors.forename: Vasilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kotsis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D062186:Arterial Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D013599:Systole; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult