Arterial stiffness, a marker for vascular damage, was associated with cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents.
Atherosclerosis generally occurs in mid-to-late life, but its inception has roots in childhood. In adults, increased arterial stiffness is a pathological symptom of vascular damage and is associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a measure of arterial stiffness and a marker for vascular damage. In a cross-sectional study, investigators examined the association between cardiovascular risk factors and arterial stiffness as measured by brachial-ankle PWV in healthy adolescents (178 males and 84 females; age range, 12–18).
PWV was significantly higher in males than in females. In both groups, PWV was positively correlated with BMI, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood press…