title: Arterial Stiffness, Distensibility, and Strain in Asthmatic Children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We hypothesized that since asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease, it could lead to the early development of atherosclerosis in childhood-onset asthma. The aim of this study was to investigate arterial stiffness, distensibility, and strain of different peripheral arteries, the parameters of which can be used to detect atherosclerosis in asthmatic children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 22 pediatric patients with asthma and 18 healthy children. Fasting blood glucose and cholesterol levels were evaluated to exclude children with diabetes and hyperlipidemia, which are risk factors for atherosclerosis. Renal, carotid, and brachial arteries diameters were measured. Using the measured data, stiffness, distensibility, and strain of the arteries of all children were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pulse pressure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterols, and glucose levels of the obese individuals were similar to the controls. In carotid arteries there were no statistical differences regarding stiffness, distensibility, and strain. According to multiple ANCOVA analysis, distensibility and strain of right and left brachial arteries and right renal artery were higher, whereas right renal artery stiffness was lower in asthmatic children than in controls. Approximately one-fifth of the change in the left and right brachial arteries and right renal artery distensibility and strain and a small portion of the change in the right renal artery stiffness were associated with asthma. In contrast, left renal artery distensibility, strain, and stiffness were not associated with asthma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peripheral arteries had higher distensibility and strain, and lower stiffness in asthmatic children than in controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Bozok University Medical Faculty, Yozgat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Esra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akyüz Özkan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Bozok University Medical Faculty, Yozgat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Halil İbrahim
authors.initials: Hİ
authors.lastname: Serin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Bozok University Medical Faculty, Yozgat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hashem E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Khosroshahi
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Bozok University Medical Faculty, Yozgat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kılıç
authors.affiliation: 0.
authors.forename: Meral
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ekim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Bozok University Medical Faculty, Yozgat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Perihan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Beysel
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Bozok University Medical Faculty, Yozgat, Turkey.
authors.forename: U Aliye
authors.initials: UA
authors.lastname: Geçit
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Bozok University Medical Faculty, Yozgat, Turkey.
authors.forename: Esra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Domur
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D059289:Vascular Stiffness