Association of Sodium and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake With Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Adolescents and Young Adults With Obesity

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in children have increased in prevalence. Dietary intake may modify risk. Data collected during a randomized trial testing the effect of a behavioral intervention on adiposity, blood pressure (BP), and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were analyzed using multivariable regression to determine independent associations of sodium, sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB), and artificially sweetened beverage (ASB) intake with outcomes. High sodium intake (≥3.5 g) was associated with hypertensive BP (odds ratio 12.8; P = .027) in minimally adjusted models. High SSB intake (≥4 oz) was independently associated with body mass index z-score (β = .34; P = .035) and waist circumference z-score (β = .49; P = .022) in fully adjusted models. Any ASB intake was associated with LVMI in fully adjusted model (% change 38.22; P = .004). There was no effect modification between sodium and SSB on outcomes. Dietary factors explored in this study independently impacted CVD risk. Further effect measure modification should be explored in larger cohorts.

Longitudinal study of birthweight, blood pressure, and markers of arterial stiffness in children age six among the TIDES cohort

OBJECTIVE

Although some studies have observed an association between birthweight and cardiovascular disease in adulthood, fewer have investigated whether birthweight is linked to cardiovascular health in early childhood. This study assesses the association between birthweight and cardiovascular outcomes in children 6 years of age.

STUDY DESIGN

Birthweight, blood pressure (BP), and markers of arterial stiffness in children, including brachial artery distensibility and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), were obtained from 324 participants in The Infant Development and the Environment Study, a prospective multisite pregnancy cohort. Birthweight was converted into sex-specific birthweight-for-gestational-age (bw/ga) z-scores based on the INTERGROWTH-21st standard. Following 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, SBP and DBP were transformed into sex, age, and height-specific z-scores. Associations between birthweight and cardiovascular outcomes were assessed using nested multivariable linear regression models among the overall and sex-stratified samples.

RESULTS

Among the overall sample, bw/ga z-score was positively associated with cfPWV [b = 0.11 m/s, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.01 m/s, 0.21 m/s] in crude and adjusted models. No associations between birthweight and cardiovascular outcomes were detected among the sex-stratified analyses.

CONCLUSION

Overall, birthweight was not related to cardiovascular outcomes in children 6 years old. However, infants born with a higher birthweight may be at risk for higher cfPWV in childhood. Early intervention in pregnant people at risk of delivering high birthweight infants may be warranted if results are replicated.

Non-High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels From Childhood to Adulthood and Cardiovascular Disease Events

Importance

Elevated non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C; a recommended measure of lipid-related cardiovascular risk) is common in children and increases risk of adult cardiovascular disease (CVD). Whether resolution of elevated childhood non-HDL-C levels by adulthood is associated with reduced risk of clinical CVD events is unknown.

Objective

To examine the associations of non-HDL-C status between childhood and adulthood with incident CVD events.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Individual participant data from 6 prospective cohorts of children (mean age at baseline, 10.7 years) in the US and Finland. Recruitment took place between 1970 and 1996, with a final follow-up in 2019.

Exposures

Child (age 3-19 years) and adult (age 20-40 years) non-HDL-C age- and sex-specific z scores and categories according to clinical guideline-recommended cutoffs for dyslipidemia.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Incident fatal and nonfatal CVD events adjudicated by medical records.

Results

Over a mean length of follow-up of 8.9 years after age 40 years, 147 CVD events occurred among 5121 participants (60% women; 15% Black). Both childhood and adult non-HDL-C levels were associated with increased risk of CVD events (hazard ratio [HR], 1.42 [95% CI, 1.18-1.70] and HR, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.26-1.78] for a 1-unit increase in z score, respectively), but the association for childhood non-HDL-C was reduced when adjusted for adult levels (HR, 1.12 [95% CI, 0.89-1.41]). A complementary analysis showed that both childhood non-HDL-C levels and the change between childhood and adulthood were independently associated with the outcome, suggesting that from a preventive perspective, both childhood non-HDL-C levels and the change into adulthood are informative. Compared with those whose non-HDL-C levels remained within the guideline-recommended range in childhood and adulthood, participants who had incident non-HDL-C dyslipidemia from childhood to adulthood and those with persistent dyslipidemia had increased risks of CVD events (HR, 2.17 [95% CI, 1.00-4.69] and HR, 5.17 [95% CI, 2.80-9.56], respectively). Individuals who had dyslipidemic non-HDL-C in childhood but whose non-HDL-C levels were within the guideline-recommended range in adulthood did not have a significantly increased risk (HR, 1.13 [95% CI, 0.50-2.56]).

Conclusions and Relevance

Individuals with persistent non-HDL-C dyslipidemia from childhood to adulthood had an increased risk of CVD events, but those in whom dyslipidemic non-HDL-C levels resolve by adulthood have similar risk to individuals who were never dyslipidemic. These findings suggest that interventions to prevent and reduce elevated childhood non-HDL-C levels may help prevent premature CVD.

Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Number of Subclinical Target Organ Injury Markers in Youth: The SHIP AHOY Study

Background

Hypertension in adolescence is associated with subclinical target organ injury (TOI). We aimed to determine whether different blood pressure (BP) thresholds were associated with increasing number of TOI markers in healthy adolescents.

Methods

244 participants (mean age 15.5±1.8 years, 60.1% male) were studied. Participants were divided based on both systolic clinic and ambulatory BP (ABP), into low- (<75 th percentile), mid- (75 th -90 th percentile) and high-risk (>90 th percentile) groups. TOI assessments included left ventricular mass, systolic and diastolic function, and vascular stiffness. The number of TOI markers for each participant was calculated. A multivariable general linear model was constructed to evaluate the association of different participant characteristics with higher numbers of TOI markers.

Results

47.5% of participants had at least one TOI marker: 31.2% had one, 11.9% two, 3.7% three, and 0.8% four. The number of TOI markers increased according to the BP risk groups: the percentage of participants with more than one TOI in the low-, mid-, and high groups based on clinic BP was 6.7%, 19.1%, and 21.8% (p=0.02), and based on ABP was 9.6%, 15.8%, and 32.2% (p<0.001). In a multivariable regression analysis, both clinic BP percentile and ambulatory SBP index were independently associated with the number of TOI markers. When both clinic and ABP were included in the model, only the ambulatory SBP index was significantly associated with the number of markers.

Conclusion

High SBP, especially when assessed by ABPM, was associated with an increasing number of subclinical cardiovascular injury markers in adolescents.

Tuberculosis infection and hypertension: prevalence estimates from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

OBJECTIVES

Tuberculosis infection (TBI) is marked by dynamic host-pathogen interactions with persistent low-grade inflammation and is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) including acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction and stroke. However, few studies assess the relationship between TBI and hypertension, an intermediate of CVD. We sought to determine the association between TBI and hypertension using data representative of the adult US population.

METHODS

We performed cross-sectional analyses using data from the 2011-2012 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Eligible participants included adults with valid QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) test results who also had blood pressure measures and no history of TB disease. TBI was defined by a positive QFT-GIT. We defined hypertension by either elevated measured blood pressure levels (ie, systolic ≥130 mm Hg or diastolic ≥80 mm Hg) or known hypertension indications (ie, self-reported previous diagnosis or use of antihypertensive medications). Analyses were performed using robust quasi-Poisson regressions and accounted for the stratified probability sampling design of NHANES.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of TBI was 5.7% (95% CI 4.7% to 6.7%) and hypertension was present among 48.9% (95% CI 45.2% to 52.7%) of participants. The prevalence of hypertension was higher among those with TBI (58.5%, 95% CI 52.4% to 64.5%) than those without TBI (48.3%, 95% CI 44.5% to 52.1%) (prevalence ratio (PR) 1.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.3). However, after adjusting for confounders, the prevalence of hypertension was similar for those with and without TBI (adjusted PR 1.0, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.1). The unadjusted prevalence of hypertension was higher among those with TBI versus no TBI, especially among individuals without CVD risk factors including those with normal body mass index (PR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2 to 2.0), euglycaemia (PR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.5) or non-smokers (PR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.4).

CONCLUSIONS

More than half of adults with TBI in the USA had hypertension. Importantly, we observed a relationship between TBI and hypertension among those without established CVD risk factors.

SUMMARY

The prevalence of hypertension was high (59%) among adults with TBI in the USA. In addition, we found that the prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher among adults with positive QFT without established hypertension risk factors.

Accuracy and Performance of Triage Blood Pressure Measurements in a Real-World Clinic Setting

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the agreement and accuracy of triage blood pressure (BP) in a real-world clinic setting, compared with the reference standard.

STUDY DESIGN

Paired triage and standardized BP measurements from patients 4 through 21 years old evaluated in an obesity-related hypertension clinic were obtained via chart-review. Triage BPs were measured by a medical assistant or nurse, often by automated device. Triplicate manual BPs were obtained by the clinic physician. Bland-Altman analyses determined mean differences between paired triage and mean standardized BPs. GEE-based multivariable relative risk (RR) regression determined the RR of triage BP overestimation by ≥5mmHg. Overall agreement, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of triage BP measurements identifying hypertensive BP were determined.

RESULTS

130 participants with 347 clinic encounters were included. Mean age was 13.3 years (standard deviation 3.94), 76% were Black, and 58% were male. Overall mean systolic and diastolic BP difference was 8.7 mmHg (95% limits on agreement: -16.66, 34.07) and 4.1 mmHg (95% limits on agreement: -18.56, 26.68), respectively. Triage systolic BP was more likely overestimated by ≥5 mmHg when a large adult (RR=1.49; 95%CI: 1.00, 2.21) or thigh cuff (RR=1.94; 95%CI: 1.08, 3.51) was required compared with when a child/adult cuff was required. Overall agreement in identifying hypertensive BP was 57.6%. Sensitivity (52.6%), specificity (63.4%), positive predictive value (60.8%), and negative predictive value (55.3%) were low across all cuffs.

CONCLUSIONS

There was poor agreement between usual triage and standardized BP measurements, with potential for significant clinical implications.

Use of lipid ratios to predict vascular target organ damage in youth

BACKGROUND

Elevated lipid levels are risk factors for early atherosclerosis. Lipid ratios have emerged as potentially stronger predictors of adverse cardiovascular changes and atherogenic cholesterol. Risk stratification in youth with obesity or type 2 diabetes may be improved by using lipid ratios. We sought to determine if lipid ratios would identify abnormalities in arterial structure and stiffness in adolescents and young adults.

METHODS

A total of 762 youth aged 10-24 years had laboratory, anthropometric, blood pressure, and carotid intima-media thickness and arterial stiffness data collected. Subjects were stratified into tertiles (low, mid, high) of lipid ratios and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Vascular outcomes by tertile were assessed by analyses of variance. General linear models were constructed for each lipid value and included demographics, risk factors and vascular measures. Correlations between lipid markers, vascular measures, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size and number were conducted.

RESULTS

There was a progressive increase in arterial thickness and stiffness across all three lipid ratios and non-HDL-C. The triglyceride to HDL-C (TG/HDL-C) ratio remained an independent predictor of arterial thickness and stiffness after adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors. TG/HDL-C had the highest correlations with arterial stiffness and small, dense LDL.

CONCLUSIONS

Arterial stiffness is increased in youth with high lipid ratios with TG/HDL-C being the most consistent marker of vascular changes. These data suggest that identification of high TG/HDL-C in these individuals may lead to earlier intervention to prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Uric Acid Is Not Associated With Cardiovascular Health in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes: SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study

CONTEXT

Uric acid's role in cardiovascular health in youth with type 1 diabetes is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

Investigate whether higher uric acid is associated with increased blood pressure (BP) and arterial stiffness over time in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes and if overweight/obesity modifies this relationship.

METHODS

Longitudinal analysis of data from adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes from 2 visits (mean follow up 4.6 years) in the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth multicenter prospective cohort study from 2007 to 2018. Our exposure was uric acid at the first visit and our outcome measures were the change in BP, pulse wave velocity (PWV), and augmentation index between visits. We used multivariable linear mixed-effects models and assessed for effect modification by overweight/obesity.

RESULTS

Of 1744 participants, mean age was 17.6 years, 49.4% were female, 75.9% non-Hispanic White, and 45.4% had a follow-up visit. Mean uric acid was 3.7 mg/dL (SD 1.0). Uric acid was not associated with increased BP, PWV-trunk, or augmentation index over time. Uric acid was marginally associated with PWV-upper extremity (β = .02 m/s/year, 95% CI 0.002 to 0.04). The magnitude of this association did not differ by overweight/obesity status.

CONCLUSION

Among adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes, uric acid was not consistently associated with increased BP or arterial stiffness over time. These results support findings from clinical trials in older adults with diabetes showing that lowering uric acid levels does not improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Childhood Non-HDL Cholesterol and LDL Cholesterol and Adult Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Events

BACKGROUND

Although low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) remains the primary cholesterol target in clinical practice in children and adults, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) has been suggested as a more accurate measure of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. We examined the associations of childhood non-HDL-C and LDL-C levels with adult ASCVD events and determined whether non-HDL-C has better utility than LDL-C in predicting adult ASCVD events.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study included 21 126 participants from the i3C Consortium (International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohorts). Proportional hazards regressions were used to estimate the risk for incident fatal and fatal/nonfatal ASCVD events associated with childhood non-HDL-C and LDL-C levels (age- and sex-specific z scores; concordant/discordant categories defined by guideline-recommended cutoffs), adjusted for sex, Black race, cohort, age at and calendar year of child measurement, body mass index, and systolic blood pressure. Predictive utility was determined by the C index.

RESULTS

After an average follow-up of 35 years, 153 fatal ASCVD events occurred in 21 126 participants (mean age at childhood visits, 11.9 years), and 352 fatal/nonfatal ASCVD events occurred in a subset of 11 296 participants who could be evaluated for this outcome. Childhood non-HDL-C and LDL-C levels were each associated with higher risk of fatal and fatal/nonfatal ASCVD events (hazard ratio ranged from 1.27 [95% CI, 1.14-1.41] to 1.35 [95% CI, 1.13-1.60] per unit increase in the risk factor z score). Non-HDL-C had better discriminative utility than LDL-C (difference in C index, 0.0054 [95% CI, 0.0006-0.0102] and 0.0038 [95% CI, 0.0008-0.0068] for fatal and fatal/nonfatal events, respectively). The discordant group with elevated non-HDL-C and normal LDL-C had a higher risk of ASCVD events compared with the concordant group with normal non-HDL-C and LDL-C (fatal events: hazard ratio, 1.90 [95% CI, 0.98-3.70]; fatal/nonfatal events: hazard ratio, 1.94 [95% CI, 1.23-3.06]).

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood non-HDL-C and LDL-C levels are associated with ASCVD events in midlife. Non-HDL-C is better than LDL-C in predicting adult ASCVD events, particularly among individuals who had normal LDL-C but elevated non-HDL-C. These findings suggest that both non-HDL-C and LDL-C are useful in identifying children at higher risk of ASCVD events, but non-HDL-C may provide added prognostic information when it is discordantly higher than the corresponding LDL-C and has the practical advantage of being determined without a fasting sample.

2024 Recommendations for Validation of Noninvasive Arterial Pulse Wave Velocity Measurement Devices

BACKGROUND

Arterial stiffness, as measured by arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV), is an established biomarker for cardiovascular risk and target-organ damage in individuals with hypertension. With the emergence of new devices for assessing PWV, it has become evident that some of these devices yield results that display significant discrepancies compared with previous devices. This discrepancy underscores the importance of comprehensive validation procedures and the need for international recommendations.

METHODS

A stepwise approach utilizing the modified Delphi technique, with the involvement of key scientific societies dedicated to arterial stiffness research worldwide, was adopted to formulate, through a multidisciplinary vision, a shared approach to the validation of noninvasive arterial PWV measurement devices.

RESULTS

A set of recommendations has been developed, which aim to provide guidance to clinicians, researchers, and device manufacturers regarding the validation of new PWV measurement devices. The intention behind these recommendations is to ensure that the validation process can be conducted in a rigorous and consistent manner and to promote standardization and harmonization among PWV devices, thereby facilitating their widespread adoption in clinical practice.

CONCLUSIONS

It is hoped that these recommendations will encourage both users and developers of PWV measurement devices to critically evaluate and validate their technologies, ultimately leading to improved consistency and comparability of results. This, in turn, will enhance the clinical utility of PWV as a valuable tool for assessing arterial stiffness and informing cardiovascular risk stratification and management in individuals with hypertension.

Blood Pressure in Children in the 21st Century: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go From Here?

The association between hypertension in adulthood and cardiovascular morbidity and death is well known. Based on that association, a diagnosis of elevated blood pressure in children has been clinically interpreted as early cardiovascular disease. The objective of this review is to discuss historical data and new research on the relationship between elevated blood pressure and early preclinical and later adult cardiovascular disease. After summarizing the evidence, we will address the gaps in knowledge around Pediatric hypertension in an effort to stimulate research into the important role that control of blood pressure in youth may play in preventing adult cardiovascular disease.

Tuberculosis infection and hypertension: Prevalence estimates from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Objectives

Latent Tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is marked by dynamic host-pathogen interactions with persistent low-grade inflammation and is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) including acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction, and stroke. However, few studies assess the relationship between LTBI and hypertension, an intermediate of CVD. We sought to determine the association between LTBI and hypertension using data representative of the adult US population.

Methods

We performed cross-sectional analyses using data from the 2011-2012 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Eligible participants included adults with valid QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) test results who also had blood pressure measures and no history of TB disease. LTBI was defined by a positive QFT-GIT. We defined hypertension by either elevated measured blood pressure levels (i.e., systolic ≥130mmHg or diastolic ≥80mmHg) or known hypertension indications (i.e., self-reported previous diagnosis or use of antihypertensive medications). Analyses were performed using robust quasi-Poisson regressions and accounted for the stratified probability sampling design of NHANES.

Results

The overall prevalence of LTBI was 5.7% (95%CI 4.7-6.7) and hypertension was present among 48.9% (95%CI 45.2-52.7) of participants. The prevalence of hypertension was higher among those with LTBI (58.5%, 95%CI 52.4-64.5) than those without LTBI (48.3%, 95%CI 44.5-52.1) (prevalence ratio [PR]=1.2, 95%CI 1.1-1.3). However, after adjusting for confounders, the prevalence of hypertension was similar for those with and without LTBI (adjusted PR=1.0, 95%CI 0.9 -1.1). Among individuals without CVD risk factors of elevated BMI (PRnormal BMI=1.6, 95%CI 1.2-2.0), hyperglycemia (PReuglycemia=1.3, 95%CI 1.1-1.5), or cigarette smoking (PRnon-smokers=1.2, 95%CI 1.1-1.4), the unadjusted prevalence of hypertension was higher among those with LTBI vs. no LTBI.

Conclusions

More than half of adults with LTBI in the US had hypertension. Importantly, we observed a relationship between LTBI and hypertension among those without established CVD risk factors.

Exploring Racial and Ethnic Differences in Arterial Stiffness Among Youth and Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes

Background We examined arterial stiffness in individuals with type 1 diabetes, and explored whether differences between Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and non-Hispanic White (NHW) individuals were attributable to modifiable clinical and social factors. Methods and Results Participants (n=1162; 22% Hispanic, 18% NHB, and 60% NHW) completed 2 to 3 research visits from ≈10 months to ≈11 years post type 1 diabetes diagnosis (mean ages of ≈9 to ≈20 years, respectively) providing data on socioeconomic factors, type 1 diabetes characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors, health behaviors, quality of clinical care, and perception of clinical care. Arterial stiffness (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity [PWV], m/s) was measured at ≈20 years of age. We analyzed differences in PWV by race and ethnicity, then explored the individual and combined impact of the clinical and social factors on these differences. PWV did not differ between Hispanic (adjusted mean 6.18 [SE 0.12]) and NHW (6.04 [0.11]) participants after adjustment for cardiovascular risks (P=0.06) and socioeconomic factors (P=0.12), or between Hispanic and NHB participants (6.36 [0.12]) after adjustment for all factors (P=0.08). PWV was higher in NHB versus NHW participants in all models (all P<0.001). Adjustment for modifiable factors reduced the difference in PWV by 15% for Hispanic versus NHW participants; by 25% for Hispanic versus NHB; and by 21% for NHB versus NHW. Conclusions Cardiovascular and socioeconomic factors explain one-quarter of the racial and ethnic differences in PWV of young people with type 1 diabetes, but NHB individuals still experienced greater PWV. Exploration of pervasive inequities potentially driving these persistent differences is needed.

Association of Elevated Arterial Stiffness With Cardiac Target Organ Damage and Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy in Young Adults With Diabetes: The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study

OBJECTIVE

Adults with diabetes are at risk for cardiovascular (CV) events, possibly due to increased arterial stiffness (AS) and cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN). We sought to determine whether 1) AS is associated with cardiac target organ damage in young adults with youth-onset diabetes, 2) whether CAN is associated with AS, as one possible etiology for increased AS in this cohort, and 3) whether these relationships differ by type of diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Participants from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study (type 1 diabetes [T1D], n = 222; type 2 diabetes [T2D], n = 177; mean age 23 years) had clinical, echocardiographic, AS, and CAN assessed. Linear regression was performed to determine whether AS was associated with cardiac changes and CAN and whether relationships differed by diabetes type.

RESULTS

AS was significantly associated with cardiac structure (left ventricular mass index, P < 0.0001), systolic function (ejection fraction, P = 0.03) and diastolic function (transmitral peak early [E]/atrial [A] wave velocities ratio, P = 0.008; early [e']/atrial [a'] waves, P = 0.02) after adjustments for CV risk factors. The association between AS and CAN was not significant when other important covariates were added. These relationships were mostly similar in both T1D and T2D.

CONCLUSIONS

AS is associated with cardiac changes in young adults with diabetes. CAN-induced AS does not appear to be an etiology for cardiac abnormalities in this cohort.

Association of Childhood Blood Pressure with Left Atrial Size and Function: Study of High Blood Pressure in Pediatrics-Adult Hypertension in Youth (SHIP AHOY)

OBJECTIVE(S)

To evaluate the cross-sectional association of cardiovascular disease risk factors with left atrial (LA) size and function among healthy youth, aged 11-18 years, with a wide range of blood pressures (BPs).

STUDY DESIGN

Echocardiographic images of youth enrolled in the Study of High Blood Pressure in Pediatrics: Adult Hypertension Onset in Youth study were analyzed for LA measurements. The association of casual BP, ambulatory BP, and other cardiovascular disease risk factors with LA size and function were determined using descriptive statistics and multivariable regression. Regression models adjusting for age, sex, race, and body mass index z score determined the independent association between ambulatory systolic BP indices (mean systolic BP/50th %ile systolic BP) and BP phenotypes with LA outcomes while exploratory analyses investigated for additional predictors of LA outcomes.

RESULTS

The study population consisted of 347 youth: median age 15.7 years, 60% male and 40% non-White. Greater-risk casual systolic BP groups had worse cardiometabolic profiles but no differences in LA size and function. Each 0.1 increase in ambulatory systolic BP day or night index was associated with a 9.9 mL/m2 increase in LA volume/body surface area (LAV/BSA; 95th% CI 2.8-17.0, P = .006) and a 6.8 mL/m2 increase in LAV/BSA (95th% CI 0.8-12.8, P = .03), respectively. Ambulatory hypertension was associated with greater odds of abnormal LAV/BSA, defined as >75th %ile (2014 ambulatory BP monitoring criteria: OR 3.2 [95th% CI 1.4-7.2; P = .002]; 2022 ambulatory BP monitoring criteria: OR 2.1 [95th% CI 1.0-4.1; P = .008]).

CONCLUSIONS

Increasing ambulatory systolic BP and ambulatory hypertension are independently associated with LAV/BSA.

Is There a Role for Imaging Youth at Risk of Atherosclerosis?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity are associated with an increased risk for CV events in adults. Noninvasive measures of vascular health are associated with these CV events and can potentially help risk stratify children with CV risk factors. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent literature regarding vascular health in children with cardiovascular risk factors.

RECENT FINDINGS

Adverse changes in pulse wave velocity, pulse wave analysis, arterial distensibility, and carotid intima-media thickness are seen in children with CV risk factors supporting potential utility in risk stratification. Assessing vascular health in children can be challenging due to growth-related changes in vasculature, multiple assessment modalities, and differences in normative data. Vascular health assessment in children with cardiovascular risk factors can be a valuable tool for risk stratification and help identify opportunities for early intervention. Future areas of research include increasing normative data, improving conversion of data between different modalities, and increasing longitudinal studies in children linking childhood risk factors to adult CV outcomes.

Pediatric Primary Hypertension: An Underrecognized Condition: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

The overall prevalence of hypertension in childhood is 2% to 5%, and the leading type of childhood hypertension is primary hypertension, especially in adolescence. As in adults, the leading risk factors for children with primary hypertension are excess adiposity and suboptimal lifestyles; however, environmental stress, low birth weight, and genetic factors may also be important. Hypertensive children are highly likely to become hypertensive adults and to have measurable target organ injury, particularly left ventricular hypertrophy and vascular stiffening. Ambulatory and home blood pressure monitoring may facilitate diagnosis. Primordial prevention of hypertension through public health implementation of healthier diet and increased physical activity will reduce the prevalence of primary hypertension, and evidence-based treatment guidelines should be implemented when hypertension is diagnosed. Further research to optimize recognition and diagnosis and clinical trials to better define outcomes of treatment are needed.

Abstract P404: The Virtual Home Clinic: Challenges and Solutions

Longitudinal studies provide rich sources of data to explore early risk factors for future CV diseases. However, cohort participants often move away from their initial recruitment site. Therefore, we are assessing feasibility of mailing of devices to the home for collection of biometric data followed by an in-person assessment to validate the home devices. Participants (N=215) from the Bogalusa Heart Study, National Growth & Health Study and the Princeton Lipid Research Study who were initially enrolled as children in the 1970s and 1980s were recruited. Devices sent to the home ( Table ) measure anthropometrics, BP, HR, heart rhythm, resting metabolic rate, O2 saturation, glucose, total cholesterol, physical activity, diet, sleep duration/quality, and arterial stiffness. Stool and saliva are also collected for microbiome, DNA and cotinine. General issues encountered include institutional firewall requiring permission to load apps on an iPAD, apps requiring wi-fi or an email, complicated instructions for participants, different processes for account setup, data retrieval, cleaning/disinfection, need to delete old data/resetting for each device, and differing exported data file formats requiring extensive programming to import into statistical software. This feasibility study will provide new opportunities to continue to follow our participants who have provided invaluable contributions to science for the last 40 years.

Abstract MP38: Higher Childhood Cardiovascular Risk Score is Associated With Worse Physical, Social and Emotional Functioning in Adulthood

Introduction: Childhood cardiovascular risk factors have been associated with increased risk of adult cardiovascular disease, but how they are associated with adult physical, emotional and social functioning is not well understood.

Hypothesis: We addressed the hypothesis that the International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohort (i3C) Consortium childhood risk score would be associated with worse physical, social and emotional functioning in adulthood.

Methods: The i3C childhood combined risk score is the average of five childhood risk factors (body mass index, systolic blood pressure, youth smoking, total cholesterol and triglycerides) on the z-score scale. Self-reported measures of physical (e.g., pain, functioning, fatigue), social (e.g., social isolation, satisfaction with social role) and emotional functioning (e.g., anxiety, depression) were assessed in adulthood in a subset of two i3C cohorts, the NHLBI Growth and Health Study (NGHS) and the Princeton Lipid Research Study (PLRS). Potential covariates included cohort (as a proxy for age, given no overlap in ages between cohorts), sex, race (Black vs. White), own education, parental education, marital status, and self-reported hypertension, diabetes and cancer. Interactions between the i3C risk score and cohort (age) were evaluated.

Results: Ninety-two NGHS (100% female, 46% Black, mean±SD age 44.5±0.6 years) and 75 PLRS (77% female, 31% Black, 60.6±3.4 years) participants were included in analyses. In adjusted models, a higher i3C risk score was associated with worse physical functioning, global pain score, pain interference with everyday activities, and fatigue in the older PLRS participants, but only with global pain score in the younger NGHS participants (all p[int]<0.05 except global pain). Higher i3C childhood risk score was associated with greater sleep-related impairment in PLRS, but with less impairment in NGHS participants (p[int]=0.03). Higher i3C childhood risk score was also associated with higher depression scores and less satisfaction with social roles in PLRS participants but not NGHS participants (p[int]=0.02 and 0.04, respectively). There was no significant relationship of i3C risk score with sleep quality, friendships, social isolation or anxiety.

Conclusions: In conclusion, higher childhood cardiovascular risk factors are associated with worse physical, social and emotional health in adulthood, even in this limited sample of predominantly Black and White women followed from childhood. These effects are more prominent in older than younger adults, when issues such as pain and sleep problems become more prevalent.

Lipoprotein(a) in Youth and Prediction of Major Cardiovascular Outcomes in Adulthood

BACKGROUND

Elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a common risk factor for cardiovascular disease outcomes with unknown mechanisms. We examined its potential role in identifying youths who are at increased risk of developing adult atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

METHODS

Lp(a) levels measured in youth 9 to 24 years of age were linked to adult ASCVD and carotid intima-media thickness in the YFS (Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study), in which 95 of the original 3596 participants (2.7%) recruited as children have been diagnosed with ASCVD at a median of 47 years of age. Results observed in YFS were replicated with the use of data for White participants from the BHS (Bogalusa Heart Study). In BHS, 587 White individuals had data on youth Lp(a) (measured at 8-17 years of age) and information on adult events, including 15 cases and 572 noncases. Analyses were performed with the use of Cox proportional hazard regression.

RESULTS

In YFS, those who had been exposed to high Lp(a) level in youth [defined as Lp(a) ≥30 mg/dL] had ≈2 times greater risk of developing adult ASCVD compared with nonexposed individuals (hazard ratio, 2.0 [95% CI, 1.4-2.6]). Youth risk factors, including Lp(a), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, body mass index, and smoking, were all independently associated with higher risk. In BHS, in an age- and sex-adjusted model, White individuals who had been exposed to high Lp(a) had 2.5 times greater risk (95% CI, 0.9-6.8) of developing adult ASCVD compared with nonexposed individuals. When also adjusted for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and body mass index, the risk associated with high Lp(a) remained unchanged (hazard ratio, 2.4 [95% CI, 0.8-7.3]). In a multivariable model for pooled data, individuals exposed to high Lp(a) had 2.0 times greater risk (95% CI, 1.0-3.7) of developing adult ASCVD compared with nonexposed individuals. No association was detected between youth Lp(a) and adult carotid artery thickness in either cohort or pooled data.

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated Lp(a) level identified in youth is a risk factor for adult atherosclerotic cardiovascular outcomes but not for increased carotid intima-media thickness.

Impact of Udenafil on Echocardiographic Indices of Single Ventricle Size and Function in FUEL Study Participants

BACKGROUND

The FUEL trial (Fontan Udenafil Exercise Longitudinal) demonstrated statistical improvements in exercise capacity following 6 months of treatment with udenafil (87.5 mg po BID). The effect of udenafil on echocardiographic measures of single ventricle function in this cohort has not been studied.

METHODS

The 400 enrolled participants were randomized 1:1 to udenafil or placebo. Protocol echocardiograms were obtained at baseline and 26 weeks after initiation of udenafil/placebo. Linear regression compared change from baseline indices of single ventricle systolic, diastolic and global function, atrioventricular valve regurgitation, and mean Fontan fenestration gradient in the udenafil cohort versus placebo, controlling for ventricular morphology (left ventricle versus right ventricle/other) and baseline value.

RESULTS

The udenafil participants (n=191) had significantly improved between baseline and 26 weeks visits compared to placebo participants (n=195) in myocardial performance index (P=0.03, adjusted mean difference [SE] of changes between groups -0.03[0.01]), atrioventricular valve inflow peak E (P=0.009, 3.95 [1.50]), and A velocities (P=0.034, 3.46 [1.62]), and annular Doppler tissue imaging-derived peak e' velocity (P=0.008, 0.60[0.23]). There were no significant differences in change in single ventricle size, systolic function, atrioventricular valve regurgitation severity, or mean fenestration gradient. Participants with a dominant left ventricle had significantly more favorable baseline values of indices of single ventricle size and function (lower volumes and areas, E/e' ratio, systolic:diastolic time and atrioventricular valve regurgitation, and higher annular s' and e' velocity).

CONCLUSIONS

FUEL participants who received udenafil demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in some global and diastolic echo indices. Although small, the changes in diastolic function suggest improvement in pulmonary venous return and/or augmented ventricular compliance, which may help explain improved exercise performance in that cohort.

REGISTRATION

URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov; Unique Identifier: NCT02741115.

Association of Blood Pressure-Related Increase in Vascular Stiffness on Other Measures of Target Organ Damage in Youth

BACKGROUND

Hypertension-related increased arterial stiffness predicts development of target organ damage (TOD) and cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that blood pressure (BP)-related increased arterial stiffness is present in youth with elevated BP and is associated with TOD.

METHODS

Participants were stratified by systolic BP into low- (systolic BP <75th percentile, n=155), mid- (systolic BP ≥80th and <90th percentile, n=88), and high-risk BP categories (≥90th percentile, n=139), based on age-, sex- and height-specific pediatric BP cut points. Clinic BP, 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring, anthropometrics, and laboratory data were obtained. Arterial stiffness measures included carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and aortic stiffness. Left ventricular mass index, left ventricular systolic and diastolic function, and urine albumin/creatinine were collected. ANOVA with Bonferroni correction was used to evaluate differences in cardiovascular risk factors, pulse wave velocity, and cardiac function across groups. General linear models were used to examine factors associated with arterial stiffness and to determine whether arterial stiffness is associated with TOD after accounting for BP.

RESULTS

Pulse wave velocity increased across groups. Aortic distensibility, distensibility coefficient, and compliance were greater in low than in the mid or high group. Significant determinants of arterial stiffness were sex, age, adiposity, BP, and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. Pulse wave velocity and aortic compliance were significantly associated with TOD (systolic and diastolic cardiac function and urine albumin/creatinine ratio) after controlling for BP.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher arterial stiffness is associated with elevated BP and TOD in youth emphasizing the need for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Abstract 024: Arterial Stiffness Before Hypertension: A New Paradigm In Youth

Arterial stiffness (AS) in adults is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality. Historically, AS and increased left ventricular mass index (LVMi) have been identified as consequences of hypertension. However, recent studies have shown that AS and LVMi can predict hypertension development in adults. AS and LVMi as determinants of pediatric BP have not been studied. We hypothesized that AS and LVMi are independent determinants of BP in youth. Baseline BP and AS data were collected on participants enrolled in a cohort study comparing the effects of type 2 diabetes and obesity on the cardiovascular system in youth to lean and obese controls. Follow up BP and AS were obtained 5-7 years after initial measurements. General linear models were used to determine if central AS (Pulse Wave Velocity, PWV) or wave reflections (Augmentation Index, Aix) or LVMi remained significant predictors of follow-up systolic or diastolic BP z-scores (SBPz, DBPz) after adjusting for covariates. A total of 425 participants were included in this study. The mean age at baseline was 17.6 years and at follow up 22.9 years. Baseline and change in PWV, LVMi and Aix predicted follow up SBPz and DBPz ( p= <0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, race, BMI, waist/height ratio, diabetes and BP, lipid and metabolic medications, both baseline and change in PWV remained independently associated with follow up SBPz and DBPz ( p= <0.001). LVMi remained independently associated with follow up SBPz ( p= <0.001), but not DBPz. Aix was no longer significant after adjusting for PWV and LVMi. In conclusion, central AS and LVMi predict future BP and may be useful in the identification of youth at risk for hypertension.

Longitudinal Changes in Arterial Stiffness and Heart Rate Variability in Youth-Onset Type 1 Versus Type 2 Diabetes: The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study

OBJECTIVE

We compared arterial stiffness and heart rate variability (HRV) over time by diabetes type and determined the risk factors associated with worsening arterial stiffness and HRV in young adults with youth-onset diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity, augmentation index) and six indices of heart rate variability were measured twice, 4.5 years apart, among participants with either youth-onset type 1 or type 2 diabetes in the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study. Multivariable linear regression models were used to assess risk factors associated with arterial stiffness and HRV at follow-up.

RESULTS

Of 1,159 participants studied, 949 had type 1 diabetes (mean age 17.1 ± 4.7 years, 60.3% non-Hispanic White, 55% female) and 210 had type 2 diabetes (mean age 22.1 ± 3.5 years, 23.8% non-Hispanic White, 71% female) at initial assessment when diabetes duration was 7.9 years (both groups). Participants with type 2 versus type 1 diabetes had greater arterial stiffness and more abnormalities in HRV at initial and follow-up assessment and a greater change over time (all P < 0.05). Risk factors associated with worse arterial stiffness and HRV at follow-up in both types of diabetes included higher blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, waist circumference, and triglycerides over time and longer diabetes duration.

CONCLUSIONS

Arterial stiffness and HRV worsened over time with greater changes among participants with type 2 versus type 1 diabetes and among those with features of the metabolic syndrome. The risk factor profile documents potentially modifiable pathways to prevent or limit cardiovascular complications in young adults with youth-onset diabetes.

Body-mass index trajectories from childhood to mid-adulthood and their sociodemographic predictors: Evidence from the International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohort (i3C) Consortium

Background

Understanding lifecourse trajectories of body-mass index (BMI) is important for identifying groups at high risk of poor health and potential target points for intervention. This study aimed to describe BMI trajectories from childhood to mid-adulthood in four population-based cohorts established in the 1970s and 1980s and to identify childhood sociodemographic factors related to trajectory membership.

Methods

Between Dec 17, 1970 and Dec 15, 1994, data were collected at the first visit from 9830 participants from the International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohort (i3C) Consortium, which includes participants from Australia (1985), Finland (1980) and the USA (1970-1994). Participants had at least three measures of height and weight, including one in childhood (6-18 years) and one in adulthood (>18 years), and were aged 30-49 years at last measurement. Latent Class Growth Mixture Modelling was used to identify lifecourse BMI trajectory groups and log multinomial regression models were fit to identify their childhood sociodemographic predictors.

Findings

Five consistent BMI trajectory groups were identified amongst the four cohorts: persistently low (35.9-58.6%), improving from high (0.7-4.8%), progressing to moderate (9.3-43.7%), progressing to high (1.1-6.0%), and progressing to very high (0.7-1.3%). An additional three BMI trajectory groups were identified in some, but not all, cohorts: adult onset high (three cohorts; 1.8-20.7%), progressing to moderate-high (two cohorts; 5.2-13.8%), and relapsing yo-yoers (alternating upward and downward; one cohort; 1.3%). In pooled analyses, each predictor variable in childhood, including age, gender, parental education and race, was associated with increased likelihood of belonging to the most (e.g., improving from high) and least (e.g., progressing to very high) favourable BMI trajectory groups, suggesting a U-shaped (or inverse U-shaped) pattern of association.

Interpretation

Five consistent BMI trajectory groups were identified across four cohorts from Australia, Finland, and the USA, mainly across two eras of birth. While most participants remained on a persistently low trajectory (50%), many demonstrated worsening BMI trajectories (47%), with only few demonstrating improving trajectories (<5%). Age, gender, parental education, and race appear to be important predictors of BMI trajectory group membership and need consideration in preventive and management strategies.

Funding

This study was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (grant number R01 HL121230).

Relationship between Arterial Stiffness and Subsequent Cardiac Structure and Function in Young Adults with Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes: Results from the TODAY Study

BACKGROUND

Higher arterial stiffness may contribute to future alterations in left ventricular systolic and diastolic function. We tested this hypothesis in individuals with youth-onset type 2 diabetes from the Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) study.

METHODS

Arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity [carotid-femoral, femoral-foot, and carotid-radial], augmentation index, brachial distensibility) was measured in 388 participants with type 2 diabetes (mean age, 21 years; diabetes duration, 7.7 ± 1.5 years). To reflect overall (composite) vascular stiffness, the five arterial stiffness measures were aggregated. An echocardiogram was performed in the same cohort 2 years later. Linear regression models assessed whether composite arterial stiffness was associated with left ventricular mass index or systolic and diastolic function, independent of age, sex, race/ethnicity, current cigarette smoking, and long-term exposure (time-weighted mean values over 9.1 years) of hemoglobin A1c, blood pressure, and body mass index. Interactions among arterial stiffness and time-weighted mean hemoglobin A1c, blood pressure, and body mass were also examined.

RESULTS

After adjustment, arterial stiffness remained significantly associated with left ventricular mass index and diastolic function measured by mitral valve E/Em, despite attenuation by time-weighted mean body mass index. A significant interaction revealed a greater adverse effect of composite arterial stiffness on mitral valve E/Em among participants with higher levels of blood pressure over time. Arterial stiffness was unrelated to left ventricular systolic function.

CONCLUSIONS

The association of higher arterial stiffness with future left ventricular diastolic dysfunction suggests the path to future heart failure may begin early in life in this setting of youth-onset type 2 diabetes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00081328.

Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Target Organ Damage in Adolescents: The SHIP AHOY Study

BACKGROUND

Development of cardiovascular disease in adults has been directly linked to an adverse metabolic phenotype. While there is evidence that development of these risk factors in childhood persists into adulthood and the development of cardiovascular disease, less is known about whether these risk factors are associated with target organ damage during adolescence.

METHODS

We collected data from 379 adolescents (mean age 15.5, 60% male) with blood pressure between the 75th and 95th percentile to determine if there is a metabolic phenotype that predicts cardiovascular changes (left ventricular mass, systolic and diastolic function, pulse wave velocity, and renal function). We determined the number of risk factors for cardiovascular disease (hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and insulin resistance) present in each participant. Generalized linear models were constructed to determine if the number of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) were associated with measures of target organ damage.

RESULTS

The number of CVRFs present were associated with statistically significant differences in increased left ventricular mass index, increased pulse wave velocity, decreased peak longitudinal strain, urine albumin to creatine ratio and echocardiographic parameters of diastolic dysfunction. Generalized linear models showed that dyslipidemia and insulin resistance were independently associated with markers of diastolic dysfunction (P ≤ .05) while increased blood pressure was associated with all makers of target organ damage (P ≤ .03).

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest the of the number of CVRFs present is independently associated with early changes in markers of target organ damage during adolescence.

Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Children and Adolescents: 2022 Update: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in children and adolescents has markedly increased since publication of the last American Heart Association scientific statement on pediatric ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in 2014. In addition, there has also been significant expansion of the evidence base for use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in the pediatric population, including new data linking ambulatory blood pressure levels with the development of blood pressure-related target organ damage. Last, additional data have recently been published that enable simplification of the classification of pediatric ambulatory monitoring studies. This scientific statement presents a succinct review of this new evidence, guidance on optimal application of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in the clinical setting, and an updated classification scheme for the interpretation of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in children and adolescents. We also highlight areas of uncertainty where additional research is needed.

Childhood Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Adult Cardiovascular Events

BACKGROUND

Childhood cardiovascular risk factors predict subclinical adult cardiovascular disease, but links to clinical events are unclear.

METHODS

In a prospective cohort study involving participants in the International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohort (i3C) Consortium, we evaluated whether childhood risk factors (at the ages of 3 to 19 years) were associated with cardiovascular events in adulthood after a mean follow-up of 35 years. Body-mass index, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol level, triglyceride level, and youth smoking were analyzed with the use of i3C-derived age- and sex-specific z scores and with a combined-risk z score that was calculated as the unweighted mean of the five risk z scores. An algebraically comparable adult combined-risk z score (before any cardiovascular event) was analyzed jointly with the childhood risk factors. Study outcomes were fatal cardiovascular events and fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular events, and analyses were performed after multiple imputation with the use of proportional-hazards regression.

RESULTS

In the analysis of 319 fatal cardiovascular events that occurred among 38,589 participants (49.7% male and 15.0% Black; mean [±SD] age at childhood visits, 11.8±3.1 years), the hazard ratios for a fatal cardiovascular event in adulthood ranged from 1.30 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14 to 1.47) per unit increase in the z score for total cholesterol level to 1.61 (95% CI, 1.21 to 2.13) for youth smoking (yes vs. no). The hazard ratio for a fatal cardiovascular event with respect to the combined-risk z score was 2.71 (95% CI, 2.23 to 3.29) per unit increase. The hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals in the analyses of fatal cardiovascular events were similar to those in the analyses of 779 fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular events that occurred among 20,656 participants who could be evaluated for this outcome. In the analysis of 115 fatal cardiovascular events that occurred in a subgroup of 13,401 participants (31.0±5.6 years of age at the adult measurement) who had data on adult risk factors, the adjusted hazard ratio with respect to the childhood combined-risk z score was 3.54 (95% CI, 2.57 to 4.87) per unit increase, and the mutually adjusted hazard ratio with respect to the change in the combined-risk z score from childhood to adulthood was 2.88 (95% CI, 2.06 to 4.05) per unit increase. The results were similar in the analysis of 524 fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular events.

CONCLUSIONS

In this prospective cohort study, childhood risk factors and the change in the combined-risk z score between childhood and adulthood were associated with cardiovascular events in midlife. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health.).

Visceral fat and arterial stiffness in youth with healthy weight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Visceral fat is associated with increased cardiovascular risk in adults, but studies in youth are limited. We assessed associations between visceral fat and arterial stiffness in youth with healthy weight, obesity and type 2 diabetes and determined whether relationships were independent of clinical estimates of body fatness.

METHODS

This cross-sectional sample included youth ages 10-23 years (67% female, 56% non-black) with healthy weight (body mass index [BMI] = 5th-85th percentile, n = 236), obesity (BMI ≥ 95th percentile, n = 224) and type 2 diabetes (BMI ≥ 95th percentile, n = 145). Visceral fat was assessed via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) was assessed via applanation tonometry. Obesity and type 2 diabetes groups were combined for final analyses. Analyses accounted for age, sex, ancestry and mean arterial pressure.

RESULTS

Visceral fat and PWV were greater in youth with obesity versus healthy weight (p < 0.001). In youth with obesity, but not healthy weight, visceral fat was positively associated with PWV (p < 0.001) and was predictive of PWV beyond BMI and waist circumference.

CONCLUSIONS

Visceral fat likely contributes to subclinical cardiovascular complications in youth. Since cardiovascular health tracks from adolescence to adulthood, longitudinal studies in youth with obesity are required to define the role of visceral fat in lifelong cardiovascular disease risk.

Abnormal maximal and submaximal cardiopulmonary exercise capacity in pediatric stem cell transplant recipients despite normal standard echocardiographic parameters: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Left ventricular systolic dysfunction is a known complication of stem cell transplant (SCT). There has been minimal research to determine if subclinical cardiac dysfunction exists in SCT patients utilizing tools other than standard echocardiography, such as maximal and submaximal effort cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and vascular function studies.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to determine the rate of subclinical cardiac dysfunction in patients with normal ejection fraction after SCT, identified by abnormal values by CPET, tissue-Doppler imaging, and arterial stiffness measurements and to further describe submaximal exercise test measures in this population.

STUDY DESIGN

A prospective cohort study of SCT survivors who were at least three years post-SCT without prior anthracycline or radiation exposure and with preserved systolic function (LV ejection fraction > 50%) was performed to evaluate for abnormalities in exercise, vascular function, and diastolic function in an effort to detect subclinical dysfunction in SCT patients.

RESULTS

There were 11 patients (12.4±3.8-years-old) included in the study. No patients had diastolic dysfunction. All patients completed a maximal effort exercise test, and 73% (8/11) had abnormal peak oxygen consumption (VO₂peak), which is a measure of aerobic fitness. However, during submaximal effort CPET, 45% (5/11) had an abnormal VO₂ at anaerobic threshold (i.e. the point in exercise where aerobic transitions to anaerobic metabolism and fatigue starts), and 64% (7/11) had an abnormal oxygen uptake efficiency slope (a measure that relates VO₂peak to total ventilation). 86% (6/7) of the patients with an abnormal oxygen uptake efficiency slope ultimately had an abnormal VO₂peak. There were no vascular function abnormalities.

CONCLUSION

Pediatric survivors of SCT often have abnormal maximal and submaximal exercise capacity without vascular or cardiac dysfunction.

Prevalence Implications of the 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics Hypertension Guideline and Associations with Adult Hypertension

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of the 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics hypertension Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG), compared with the previous guideline ("Fourth Report"), on the frequency of hypertensive blood pressure (BP) measurements in childhood and associations with hypertension in adulthood using data from the International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohort Consortium.

STUDY DESIGN

Childhood BPs were categorized in normal, prehypertensive/elevated, and hypertensive (stage 1 and 2) ranges using the Fourth Report and the CPG. Participants were contacted in adulthood to assess self-reported hypertension. The associations between childhood hypertensive range BPs and self-reported adult hypertension were evaluated.

RESULTS

Data were available for 34 014 youth (10.4 ± 3.1 years, 50.6% female) with 92 751 BP assessments. Compared with the Fourth Report, the CPG increased hypertensive readings from 7.6% to 13.5% and from 1.3% to 2.5% for stage 1 and 2 hypertensive range, respectively (P < .0001). Of 12 761 adults (48.8 ± 7.9 years, 43% male), 3839 (30.1%) had self-reported hypertension. The sensitivity for predicting adult hypertension among those with hypertensive range BPs at any point in childhood, as defined by the Fourth Report and the CPG, respectively, was 13.4% and 22.4% (specificity 92.3% and 85.9%, P < .001), with no significant impact on positive and negative predictive values. Associations with self-reported adult hypertension were similar and weak (c-statistic range 0.61-0.68) for hypertensive range BPs as defined by the Fourth Report and CPG.

CONCLUSIONS

The CPG significantly increased the prevalence of childhood BPs in hypertensive ranges and improved the sensitivity, without an overall strengthened association, of predicting self-reported adult hypertension.

Obesity during childhood is associated with higher cancer mortality rate during adulthood: the i3C Consortium

BACKGROUND

In high-income countries, cancer is the leading cause of death among middle-aged adults. Prospective data on the effects of childhood risk exposures on subsequent cancer mortality are scarce.

METHODS

We examined whether childhood body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, glucose and lipid levels were associated with adult cancer mortality, using data from 21,012 children enrolled aged 3-19 years in seven prospective cohort studies from the U.S., Australia, and Finland that have followed participants from childhood into adulthood. Cancer mortality (cancer as a primary or secondary cause of death) was captured using registries.

RESULTS

354 cancer deaths occurred over the follow-up. In age-, sex, and cohort-adjusted analyses, childhood BMI (Hazard ratio [HR], 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.24 per 1-SD increase) and childhood glucose (HR 1.22; 95%CI 1.01-1.47 per 1-SD increase), were associated with subsequent cancer mortality. In a multivariable analysis adjusted for age, sex, cohort, and childhood measures of fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and systolic blood pressure, childhood BMI remained as an independent predictor of subsequent cancer mortality (HR, 1.24; 95%CI, 1.03-1.49). The association of childhood BMI and subsequent cancer mortality persisted after adjustment for adulthood BMI (HR for childhood BMI, 1.35; 95%CI 1.12-1.63).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher childhood BMI was independently associated with increased overall cancer mortality.

Lipids: a Potential Molecular Pathway Towards Diastolic Dysfunction in Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW

Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) with onset in youth are emerging public health concerns. Youth with obesity and T2D are at risk for the development of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) due to diabetes-related cardiomyopathy with evidence of precursor stages, namely diastolic dysfunction, present in youth. We review the literature regarding diastolic dysfunction in youth with obesity and T2D; discuss the potential mechanisms including the role of lipids, contractile proteins and their post-translational modifications, and conclude with studies to guide future treatments.

RECENT FINDINGS

The diabetes milieu namely hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and lipotoxicity favor development of diastolic dysfunction and HFpEF. Recent studies show HFpEF is associated with slow left ventricular relaxation and sarcomere stiffness induced by reduced calcium (Ca²⁺) and β-adrenergic responses. There are currently no effective therapies available for treating HFpEF. Targeting the sarcomere is an area of ongoing research.

Longitudinal changes in vascular stiffness and heart rate variability among young adults with youth-onset type 2 diabetes: results from the follow-up observational treatment options for type 2 diabetes in adolescents and youth (TODAY) study

AIMS

(1) To describe changes in arterial stiffness and heart rate variability (HRV) over a 5-year interval, (2) examine changes by sex and race-ethnicity, and (3) evaluate the risk factors associated with the longitudinal changes in arterial stiffness and HRV.

METHODS

Participants with youth-onset type 2 diabetes enrolled in the observational follow-up phase of the Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) clinical trial had arterial stiffness [(pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, brachial distensibility] and six indices of HRV measured 5 years apart. Multivariable linear regression models assessed risk factors associated with changes in the outcomes over time.

RESULTS

At initial vascular assessment, the 304 participants were a mean age of 21 years, 34% male, and had a mean diabetes duration of 8 years. In more than half the cohort pulse wave velocity, augmentation index and HRV increased over 5 years (p<0.01). Brachial distensibility did not change. There were no differences in the 5-year change by race/ethnicity except for a single HRV measure, where non-Hispanic Blacks had greater worsening of parasympathetic function compared to non-Hispanic Whites, p = 0.008. Blood pressure was related to greater worsening in augmentation index and pulse wave velocity. Higher hemoglobin A1c over time was related to worsening pulse wave velocity and HRV.

CONCLUSIONS

Arterial stiffness and HRV worsened over 5 years. Blood pressure and glycemic control may be potential targets to influence adverse changes in arterial stiffness and HRV in young adults with youth-onset type 2 diabetes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00081328.

Trends in Glycemic Control Among Youth and Young Adults With Diabetes: The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study

OBJECTIVE

To describe temporal trends and correlates of glycemic control in youth and young adults (YYA) with youth-onset diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The study included 6,369 participants with type 1 or type 2 diabetes from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study. Participant visit data were categorized into time periods of 2002-2007, 2008-2013, and 2014-2019, diabetes durations of 1-4, 5-9, and ≥10 years, and age groups of 1-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-24, and ≥25 years. Participants contributed one randomly selected data point to each duration and age group per time period. Multivariable regression models were used to test differences in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) over time by diabetes type. Models were adjusted for site, age, sex, race/ethnicity, household income, health insurance status, insulin regimen, and diabetes duration, overall and stratified for each diabetes duration and age group.

RESULTS

Adjusted mean HbA1c for the 2014-2019 cohort of YYA with type 1 diabetes was 8.8 ± 0.04%. YYA with type 1 diabetes in the 10-14-, 15-19-, and 20-24-year-old age groups from the 2014-2019 cohort had worse glycemic control than the 2002-2007 cohort. Race/ethnicity, household income, and treatment regimen predicted differences in glycemic control in participants with type 1 diabetes from the 2014-2019 cohort. Adjusted mean HbA1c was 8.6 ± 0.12% for 2014-2019 YYA with type 2 diabetes. Participants aged ≥25 years with type 2 diabetes had worse glycemic control relative to the 2008-2013 cohort. Only treatment regimen was associated with differences in glycemic control in participants with type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite advances in diabetes technologies, medications, and dissemination of more aggressive glycemic targets, many current YYA are less likely to achieve desired glycemic control relative to earlier cohorts.

Dietary sodium intake and sodium load is associated with arterial stiffness in children and young adults

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine the association of sodium intake (g/day) and sodium load (Na-L; mg/kcal/day) on arterial stiffness in youth.

METHODS

A cross-sectional analysis of 723 youth enrolled in a study evaluating the cardiovascular effects of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Three measures of arterial stiffness were evaluated: brachial distensibility (BrachD), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWVcf) and augmentation index (AIx). Three-day diet histories yielded mean daily sodium and calorie intake. Youth were divided into Na-L tertiles: Low (≤1.67 mg/kcal per day); Medium (1.68--1.98 mg/kcal per day) and High (>1.98 mg/kcal per day). General linear models adjusting for demographics, % body fat, T2DM and SBP z-score evaluated the independent association of Na-L with arterial stiffness.

RESULTS

Mean age was 17.9 years (10-24 years), 35% male, 59% nonwhite and 31% T2DM. Mean (±standard deviation) dietary intake was calories = 2074 (±797) kcal/day; Na = 3.793 (±1567) g/day; Na- = 1.86 (±0.753) mg/kcal per day. With higher levels of dietary Na intake and Na-L, measures of arterial stiffness worsened: BrachD decreased (Na intake: beta = -0.09, P = 0.003; Na-L: beta = -0.28, P < 0.0001), PWVcf increased (Na intake: beta = 0.07, P = 0.007; Na-L: beta = 0.21, P < 0.0001) but AIx did not change (Na intake: beta = -0.4, P = 0.2; Na-L: beta = 0.89, P = 0.11). In multivariable analysis, High Na-L was independently associated with BrachD, PWVcf and AIx (P < 0.05 for all), with age modifying the association of High Na-L with PWVcf and AIx.

CONCLUSION

Sodium intake and load are associated with arterial stiffness, a preclinical measure of CVD, among a paediatric population. Paediatricians should stress healthy dietary choices to reduce accelerated vascular ageing.

EKG Abnormalities in a Youth Athlete Following COVID-19: It's Not Always Myocarditis!

COVID-19 associated myocarditis following mild infections is rare while incidental findings may be more common. A young athlete fully recovered from a mild COVID-19 infection presented with inferolateral T-wave inversions and left ventricular hypertrophy on imaging. Exercise testing aided in correctly diagnosing the patient with masked systolic hypertension.

Direct and indirect effects of obesity on progression of carotid arterial injury in youth

OBJECTIVE

Increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is associated with cardiovascular (CV) events in adults and with elevated CV risk factors in youth. The aim of this study was to determine whether obesity has an direct or indirect association with cIMT.

METHODS

Structural equation modeling was used to elucidate pathways for obesity to change cIMT. Complete data were collected twice on 294 participants (mean age 17.5 years, 16% with type 2 diabetes). Latent baseline and follow-up cIMT, BMI, and CV risk factors were analyzed with SAS 9.4. Model fit was assessed.

RESULTS

There were increases in BMI, mean arterial pressure (MAP), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, C-reactive protein, and glucose and a decrease in insulin and glycosylated hemoglobin over 5 years (all p < 0.05). Only bulb (0.031 mm) and internal (0.027 mm) cIMT increased (all p < 0.001). Significant direct effects on cIMT change were baseline MAP (β 0.23), BMI z score (β 0.16), change in glucose (β 0.37), and age (β 0.37; all p < 0.05). Change in MAP showed a trend (β 0.14, p = 0.10). BMI also had a significant indirect effect (β 0.17), whereas non-HDL demonstrated no significant effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Baseline adiposity drives increasing blood pressure and glucose in high-risk youth leading to accelerated accumulation of carotid arterial injury. Prevention of acquisition of obesity in youth is critical in slowing development of CV disease.

Glycemic control is associated with dyslipidemia over time in youth with type 2 diabetes: The SEARCH for diabetes in youth study

BACKGROUND

Dyslipidemia has been documented in youth with type 2 diabetes. There is a paucity of studies examining dyslipidemia over time in youth with type 2 diabetes and associated risk factors.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate lipids at baseline and follow-up and associated risk factors in youth with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

We studied 212 youth with type 2 diabetes at baseline and after an average of 7 years of follow-up in the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study. Abnormal lipids were defined as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) < 35, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) > 100, or triglycerides >150 (all mg/dl). We evaluated participants for progression to abnormal lipids (normal lipids at baseline and abnormal at follow-up), regression (abnormal lipids at baseline and normal at follow-up), stable normal, and stable abnormal lipids over time for HDL-C, LDL-C, and triglycerides. Associations between hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and adiposity over time (area under the curve [AUC]) with progression and stable abnormal lipids were evaluated.

RESULTS

HDL-C progressed, regressed, was stable normal, and stable abnormal in 12.3%, 11.3%, 62.3%, and 14.2% of participants, respectively. Corresponding LDL-C percentages were 15.6%, 12.7%, 42.9%, and 28.8% and triglycerides were 17.5%, 10.8%, 55.7%, and 16.0%. Each 1% increase in HbA1c AUC was associated with a 13% higher risk of progression and stable abnormal triglycerides and a 20% higher risk of progression and stable abnormal LDL-C. Higher adiposity AUC was marginally (p = 0.049) associated with abnormal HDL-C.

CONCLUSIONS

Progression and stable abnormal LDL-C and triglycerides occur in youth with type 2 diabetes and are associated with higher HbA1c.

The Effect of Adiposity on Cardiovascular Function and Myocardial Fibrosis in Patients With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Background

Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) develop cardiomyopathy because of a dystrophin deficiency causing fibrofatty replacement of the myocardium. Corticosteroid use and mobility limitations place these patients at risk for increased adiposity. We sought to determine the association of adiposity with cardiovascular dysfunction in patients with DMD.

Methods and Results

This was a retrospective review of patients with DMD who underwent both cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry within 1 year. The cardiac magnetic resonance imaging parameters included left ventricular ejection fraction and the presence of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE positive [LGE+]). The adiposity indices, measured by dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry, included percentage of body fat, whole body fat mass indexed to height, and body mass index. A total of 324 patients were identified. Fifty‐two percent had LGE+, and 36% had cardiac dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction <55%). Patients with cardiac dysfunction had higher whole body fat mass indexed to height and body mass index on univariate analysis (mean difference between patients with and without cardiac dysfunction: +2.9 kg/m, P=0.001; and +1.5 kg/m², P=0.03, respectively). whole body fat mass indexed to height remained independently associated with cardiac dysfunction on multivariable analysis after adjusting for age, LGE+, and corticosteroid duration. High whole body fat mass indexed to height and percentage of body fat were associated with LGE+ on univariate analysis (mean difference between patients with and without LGE+: +2.0 kg/m, P=0.02; and +2.4%, P=0.02, respectively). Using multivariable analysis, including age and cardiac dysfunction, high percentage of body fat remained independently associated with LGE+.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates an independent association of adiposity with cardiac dysfunction and LGE+ in patients with DMD. Preventing adiposity may mitigate the later development of ventricular dysfunction in DMD.

Pediatric Ambulatory Blood Pressure Classification: The Case for a Change

In 1997, Soergel et al¹ published the first set of normative values for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in children. Since then, the clinical utility of ABPM has increased dramatically, and now, ABPM is accepted as the standard method to confirm the diagnosis of hypertension in children. Despite significant progress in the field of pediatric ABPM, many important questions remain unanswered. One of the most controversial issues is how to define ambulatory hypertension in children. The purpose of this review is to discuss the limitations of the current pediatric ABPM classification scheme and to provide the justification and rationale for a new classification.

Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Trajectories and Prevalence of High Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Consistent With Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia in US Children

This cohort study aims to characterize age-related longitudinal low-density lipoprotein trajectories among US children.

Cardiovascular risk factors before and during pregnancy: Does pregnancy unmask or initiate risk?

OBJECTIVES

To understand if pregnancy unmasks previously silent cardiovascular (CV) adverse factors, or initiates lasting injury.

METHODS

Pre-pregnancy and during pregnancy CV risk factors (blood pressure, fasting lipids, and glucose) from 296 women belonging to studies in the International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohort (i3C) Consortium, a group of studies assessing the relationship between child and adolescent CV risk factors and adult outcomes, were used. Correlation coefficients between the pre- and during pregnancy measures were calculated, and the mean difference between the measures was modeled with adjustment for age, body mass index, race, smoking, and study.

RESULTS

Measures were strongly correlated at pre- and during-pregnancy visits (p < 0.01), with r of between 0.30 and 0.55. In most cases, the difference between pre-pregnancy and during-pregnancy did not differ significantly from 0 after adjustment for confounders. Stratification by gestational age indicated stronger correlations with measurements obtained during the first and second trimesters than the third. The correlation did not differ by the time elapsed between the pre-pregnancy and pregnancy visits.

CONCLUSIONS

Pre- and during-pregnancy CV risk factors are moderately well correlated. This may indicate that susceptible women enter pregnancy with higher risk rather than pregnancy inducing new vascular or metabolic effects.

684Childhood Risk Factors and Adult Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes The International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohort (i3C) Consortium

Background

Atherosclerosis develops silently for decades before adult cardiovascular disease (aCVD) occurs. There is currently no evidence directly linking childhood risk factors to aCVD outcomes.

Methods

i3C is an international consortium of 7 cohorts involving 40,709 participants enrolled between 1970-95 in childhood (age 3-19) who underwent measurement for BMI, SBP, total cholesterol, and triglycerides, and smoking (the last mostly in adolescence). Participants were followed by direct contact and review of medical records or death registry ascertainment through adulthood in 2014-19. 20,560 participants were found and interviewed or had died in the approximately 40 years since enrollment; 738 had a CVD event, confirmed by medical record review (n = 449) or death certificate ICD code (n = 289).

Results

Estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for childhood risk factors and their confidence intervals are displayed in the table below. The CIs excluded 1.0 for all these variables in the univariable analysis and, although the HRs were reduced in multivariable analysis which included all of these risk factors, the CIs still excluded 1.0.

Conclusion

Exposure to CVD risk factors in youth predicts adult CVD with implications for primordial CVD prevention.

Key messages

Intervention to reduce CVD risk factors in childhood is likely to reduce risk of adult CVD

Associations of Genetically Predicted Lp(a) (Lipoprotein [a]) Levels With Cardiovascular Traits in Individuals of European and African Ancestry

BACKGROUND

Lp(a) (lipoprotein [a]) levels are higher in individuals of African ancestry (AA) than in individuals of European ancestry (EA). We examined associations of genetically predicted Lp(a) levels with (1) atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease subtypes: coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, and abdominal aortic aneurysm and (2) nonatherosclerotic cardiovascular disease phenotypes, stratified by ancestry.

METHODS

We performed (1) Mendelian randomization analyses for previously reported cardiovascular associations and (2) Mendelian randomization-phenome-wide association analyses for novel associations. Analyses were stratified by ancestry in electronic Medical Records and Genomics, United Kingdom Biobank, and Million Veteran Program cohorts separately and in a combined cohort of 804 507 EA and 103 580 AA participants.

RESULTS

In Mendelian randomization analyses using the combined cohort, a 1-SD genetic increase in Lp(a) level was associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease subtypes in EA-odds ratio and 95% CI for coronary heart disease 1.28 (1.16-1.41); cerebrovascular disease 1.14 (1.07-1.21); peripheral artery disease 1.22 (1.11-1.34); abdominal aortic aneurysm 1.28 (1.17-1.40); in AA, the effect estimate was lower than in EA and nonsignificant for coronary heart disease 1.11 (0.99-1.24) and cerebrovascular disease 1.06 (0.99-1.14) but similar for peripheral artery disease 1.16 (1.01-1.33) and abdominal aortic aneurysm 1.34 (1.11-1.62). In EA, a 1-SD genetic increase in Lp(a) level was associated with aortic valve disorders 1.34 (1.10-1.62), mitral valve disorders 1.18 (1.09-1.27), congestive heart failure 1.12 (1.05-1.19), and chronic kidney disease 1.07 (1.01-1.14). In AA, no significant associations were noted for aortic valve disorders 1.08 (0.94-1.25), mitral valve disorders 1.02 (0.89-1.16), congestive heart failure 1.02 (0.95-1.10), or chronic kidney disease 1.05 (0.99-1.12). Mendelian randomization-phenome-wide association analyses identified novel associations in EA with arterial thromboembolic disease, nonaortic aneurysmal disease, atrial fibrillation, cardiac conduction disorders, and hypertension.

CONCLUSIONS

Many cardiovascular associations of genetically increased Lp(a) that were significant in EA were not significant in AA. Lp(a) was associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in four major arterial beds in EA but only with peripheral artery disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm in AA. Additionally, novel cardiovascular associations were detected in EA.

Youth Vascular Consortium (YVC) Protocol: Establishing Reference Intervals for Vascular Ageing in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults

BACKGROUND

In the last two decades, the global prevalence of paediatric hypertension increased by approximately 75%. Nearly 25% of children are now classified as obese or overweight. Substantial evidence suggests that risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) begin to develop in childhood, thus warranting the need for tools to better screen for early CVD risk in youth. Vascular ageing, the deterioration of vascular structure and function, may be a potentially useful tool for detecting the early and asymptomatic signs of CVD burden. However, it is currently unclear what differentiates normal from pathological ageing in youth as existing reference values for vascular ageing in youth are limited by small sample size or homogenous populations. The international Youth Vascular Consortium (YVC) has been established to address these issues.

AIMS

The primary aim of the YVC is to develop reference intervals of normal vascular ageing in children, adolescents, and young adults. The secondary, exploratory, aim is to perform head-to-head comparisons of vascular ageing biomarkers to determine which biomarker is most strongly related to cardiometabolic health.

STUDY DESIGN

The YVC is a retrospective, multicentre study and will collate data on vascular ageing in children (5-12 years), adolescents (13-18 years) and young adults (19-40 years), as well as routine clinical biochemistry, lifestyle, sociodemographic factors and parental health.

CONCLUSION

To date, 31 research groups from 19 countries have joined the YVC. To our knowledge, this will be the largest study of its kind to investigate vascular ageing in youth.

Abstract 067: Does BP Trajectory Across Childhood Predict Adult HTN? The International Childhood CV Cohorts Consortium

The relationship between single measures of systolic blood pressure (SBP) in youth and adult levels is weak. We sought to define trajectories of SBP over childhood to determine ability to predict adult hypertension (HTN). In the International Childhood CV Cohort (i3C) Consortium, we constructed SBP trajectories in 11,482 participants (mean age 8.0 + 2.0 years at time of first measure, 47% male, 25% non-Caucasian) who had at least 3 SBPs in youth between the ages of 4 and <20 years assessed with at least 5 years between measures. To account for differences in normal BP by age, sex and height, trajectories were constructed using SBP percentile as defined by the 2017 Clinical Practice Guideline for BP management in youth. We then assessed HTN status (by survey) at mean age 46.7 years in 5,357 of the participants (mean age at first assessment 8.1 + 1.9 years, at self-assessment of HTN 46.7 + 5.7 years. 41% male, 23% non-Caucasian). SAS Proc Traj was employed to construct models with differing numbers of trajectories where all individual trajectories were significant (whether linear, quadratic or cubic). Model fit for each number of trajectories (up to 9) was assessed and trajectories were examined for clinical relevance. The final model selected included 6 trajectories. The prevalence of adult HTN was lowest in the group with low SBP across childhood and adolescence (Low-Low = 20%) and was highest in the group with persistently high SBP (High-High, 49%, chi square <0.001). At first assessment, participants in the High-High group were slightly older (8.7 vs 7.7 years), heavier (BMI 65.2 vs 45.1%), had higher BP (112/61 vs 90/48 mmHg; 27% vs 86% for SBP) and, higher Tchol, LDL, TG, Insulin, Glucose and lower HDL although means were within normal limits (all p<0.001). We conclude that trajectories of BP across childhood may identify youth at high risk for development of HTN in adulthood.

Pediatric and Adult Ambulatory Blood Pressure Thresholds and Blood Pressure Load as Predictors of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Adolescents

[Figure: see text].

Team Science: American Heart Association's Hypertension Strategically Focused Research Network Experience

In 2015, the American Heart Association awarded 4-year funding for a Strategically Focused Research Network focused on hypertension composed of 4 Centers: Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Medical College of Wisconsin, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and University of Iowa. Each center proposed 3 integrated (basic, clinical, and population science) projects around a single area of focus relevant to hypertension. Along with scientific progress, the American Heart Association put a significant emphasis on training of next-generation hypertension researchers by sponsoring 3 postdoctoral fellows per center over 4 years. With the center projects being spread across the continuum of basic, clinical, and population sciences, postdoctoral fellows were expected to garner experience in various types of research methodologies. The American Heart Association also provided a number of leadership development opportunities for fellows and investigators in these centers. In addition, collaboration was highly encouraged among the centers (both within and outside the network) with the American Heart Association providing multiple opportunities for meeting and expanding associations. The area of focus for the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Center was hypertension and target organ damage in children utilizing ambulatory blood pressure measurements. The Medical College of Wisconsin Center focused on epigenetic modifications and their role in pathogenesis of hypertension using human and animal studies. The University of Alabama at Birmingham Center's areas of research were diurnal blood pressure patterns and clock genes. The University of Iowa Center evaluated copeptin as a possible early biomarker for preeclampsia and vascular endothelial function during pregnancy. In this review, challenges faced and successes achieved by the investigators of each of the centers are presented.