title: Children and Adolescent Obesity Associates with Pressure-Dependent and Age-Related Increase in Carotid and Femoral Arteries' Stiffness and Not in Brachial Artery, Indicative of Nonintrinsic Arterial Wall Alteration.
abstract: Aim. To analyze if childhood obesity associates with changes in elastic, transitional, and/or muscular arteries' stiffness. Methods. 221 subjects (4-15 years, 92 females) were assigned to normal weight (NW, n = 137) or obesity (OB, n = 84) groups, considering their body mass index z-score. Age groups were defined: 4-8; 8-12; 12-15 years old. Carotid, femoral, and brachial artery local stiffness was determined through systodiastolic pressure-diameter and stress-strain relationships. To this end, arterial diameter and peripheral and aortic blood pressure (BP) levels and waveforms were recorded. Carotid-femoral, femoropedal, and carotid-radial pulse wave velocities were determined to evaluate aortic, lower-limb, and upper-limb regional arterial stiffness, respectively. Correlation analysis between stiffness parameters and BP was done. Results. Compared to NW, OB subjects showed higher peripheral and central BP and carotid and femoral stiffness, reaching statistical significance in subjects aged 12 and older. Arterial stiffness differences disappeared when levels were normalized for BP. There were no differences in intrinsic arterial wall stiffness (elastic modulus), BP stiffness relationships, and regional stiffness parameters. Conclusion. OB associates with BP-dependent and age-related increase in carotid and femoral (but not brachial) stiffness. Stiffness changes would not be explained by intrinsic arterial wall alterations but could be associated with the higher BP levels observed in obese children.
authors.affiliation: Physiology Department, School of Medicine, Centro Universitario de Investigación, Innovación y Diagnóstico Arterial (CUiiDARTE), Republic University, General Flores 2125, 11800 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: García-Espinosa
authors.affiliation: Physiology Department, School of Medicine, Centro Universitario de Investigación, Innovación y Diagnóstico Arterial (CUiiDARTE), Republic University, General Flores 2125, 11800 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Curcio
authors.affiliation: Physiology Department, School of Medicine, Centro Universitario de Investigación, Innovación y Diagnóstico Arterial (CUiiDARTE), Republic University, General Flores 2125, 11800 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Juan Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic "C", School of Medicine, Republic University, Pediatric Hospital Center Pereira Rossell, ASSE, Ministry of Public Health, Bulevar Artigas 1550, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Maite
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arana
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Clinic "C", School of Medicine, Republic University, Pediatric Hospital Center Pereira Rossell, ASSE, Ministry of Public Health, Bulevar Artigas 1550, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giachetto
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Cardiology Department, Pediatric Hospital Center Pereira Rossell, ASSE, Ministry of Public Health, Bulevar Artigas 1550, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chiesa
authors.affiliation: Physiology Department, School of Medicine, Centro Universitario de Investigación, Innovación y Diagnóstico Arterial (CUiiDARTE), Republic University, General Flores 2125, 11800 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Yanina
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zócalo
authors.affiliation: Physiology Department, School of Medicine, Centro Universitario de Investigación, Innovación y Diagnóstico Arterial (CUiiDARTE), Republic University, General Flores 2125, 11800 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7160-7166
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bia