title: Arterial stiffness during acute and recovery phases of children with rheumatic fever.
abstract: Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is associated with systemic inflammation and arterial stiffness during the acute stage. It has not been reported if arterial stiffness remains after recovery. The aim of this study was to determine the arterial stiffness during acute stage and 6 months after recovery from ARF. Arterial stiffness was assessed by carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) in 23 ARF patients during the acute stage of ARF and 6 months later. Simultaneously, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and other anthropometric measurements were taken during both stages. There was a significant reduction in PWV; 6.5 (6.0, 7.45) m/s to 5.9 (5.38, 6.48) m/s, p=0.003 6 months after the acute stage of ARF. Similarly, ESR was also significantly reduced from 92.0 (37.5, 110.50) mm/hr to 7.0 (5.0, 16.0) mm/hr, p=0.001. In conclusion, arterial stiffness improved 6 months after the acute stage with routine aspirin treatment; this correlates well with the reduction in systemic inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Universiti Sains Malaysia, School of Medical Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia. izah@usm.my.
authors.forename: N N I N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: KPJ Kluang Utama Specialist Hospital, Kluang, Johor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jaafar
authors.affiliation: Universiti Sains Malaysia, School of Medical Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Rasool
authors.affiliation: Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II, Department of Paediatrics, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012213:Rheumatic Fever / Q000150:complications*; D059289:Vascular Stiffness