title: Arterial Stiffness in Children: Pediatric Measurement and Considerations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arterial stiffness is a natural consequence of aging, accelerated in certain chronic conditions, and predictive of cardiovascular events in adults. Emerging research suggests the importance of arterial stiffness in pediatric populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  There are different indices of arterial stiffness. The present manuscript focuses on carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and pulse wave analysis, although other methodologies are discussed. Also reviewed are specific measurement considerations for pediatric populations and the literature describing arterial stiffness in children with certain chronic conditions (primary hypertension, obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, hypercholesterolemia, genetic syndromes involving vasculopathy, and solid organ transplant recipients).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The measurement of arterial stiffness in children is feasible and, under controlled conditions, can give accurate information about the underlying state of the arteries. This potentially adds valuable information about the functionality of the cardiovascular system in children with a variety of chronic diseases well beyond that of the brachial artery blood pressure.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pa., USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Savant
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pa., USA ; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pa., USA.
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Furth
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pa., USA.
authors.forename: Kevin E C
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Meyers
keywords: Arterial stiffness; Atherosclerosis; Children; Pulse wave analysis; Pulse wave velocity