ESPE Abstracts

Background: Altered arterial stiffness is a recognized risk factor of poor cardiovascularhealth. Ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI, defined as one minus the regression slope of diastolic on systolic blood pressure values derived from a 24 h arterial blood pressure monitoring (ABPM)) is an upcoming and readily available marker of arterial stiffness. We tested the hypothesis that AASI is increased in obese children compared to healthy subjects.

Method: AASI was calculated from ABPM in 101 obese children, 45% girls (BMI–SDS median 2.9 (interquartile range (IQR) 2.4 to 3.8), median age 11.5 years (IQR 9.0 to 13.4) and compared with an age- and gender-matched healthy control group of 71 subjects (49% girls) with BMI–SDS median 0.0 (IQR −0.75 to 0.5), and median age 12 years (IQR 10.0 to 14.0). Multivariate regression analysis was applied to identify significant independent factors explaining AASI variability in this population.

Results: AASI was significantly higher in obese children compared to the controls (0.388 (IQR 0.253 to 0.499) vs 0.190 (0.070 to 0.320), P<0.0001), whereas blood pressure values were similar (P=0.18). In a multivariate analysis including obese children only, AASI was independently predicted by BMI and daytime systolic blood pressure (P=0.04); and in a multivariate analysis including obese children and controls BMI and pulse pressure independently influenced AASI (P<0.001).

Conclusion: This study demonstrated increased AASI, a surrogate marker of arterial stiffness, in obese children. AASI seems to be influenced by BMI independently to blood pressure values, suggesting that other factors are involved in increased arterial stiffness in obese children.