Objective. The measurement of aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV ao

The enhanced wave reflection in small children is a well-known phenomenon. It is explained on the basis of differences in the body height and the timing of wave reflection. This hypothesis still has not been proved directly. The aim of our study was to determine the reference values of aortic augmentation index (Aix(ao)) and the simultaneously measured return time of the systolic pulse wave (RT) in relation to the body height to test this hypothesis. Aix(ao) and RT were measured by Arteriograph in a healthy population aged 3-18 years (n = 4619, 2489 males). The Aix(ao) decreased with increasing age in boys from 18.6 ± 8.4% to 4.7 ± 4.3% and in girls from 22.3 ± 9.2% to 8.1 ± 5.1%, whereas the RT increased from 115.5 ± 16.3 ms to 166.7 ± 20.8 ms in boys and from 106.7 ± 21.9 ms to 158.1 ± 15.5 ms in girls. These changes were constant during childhood, but they slowed down after the onset of puberty. Because aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV(ao)) measured in the same population was unchanged during childhood, the increase of RT can only be explained by the increase of aortic length due to growth. In the puberty PWV(ao) starts increasing indicating that RT (Aix(ao)) does not follow the increase (decrease) of aortic length proportionally.

Sudden death in young competitive athletes can be avoided by implementation of pre-participation screening programmes. A screening programme should be performed only by trained physicians and should include the athlete's personal and family history, physical examination results, and the readings from a 12-leadelectrocardiogram. The athlete should undergo this screening programme every second year to detect progressive diseases. In addition, the programme should include detailed instructions to the athletes to pause training during infections in order to prevent sudden death due to myocarditis.

We applied a feasible, clinically useful method which allowed us to measure changes in aortic PWV and Alx during acute, single-bout exercise on the basketball court in young sportsmen.

Background/Aims: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is increasing worldwide, and this condition is a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity among the 3–18-year-old population in Szolnok City and the surrounding areas. Methods: Anthropometric data from healthy, white individuals recruited from nursery, elementary, and secondary schools were used to assess the prevalence of obesity and overweight in Szolnok City and the surrounding area, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county, Hungary. Healthy subjects numbering 6,824 (54% boys) were included; overweight and obesity were defined according to the relevant guidelines. Results: Overweight individuals constituted 13.4% of the population and 6.6% were obese. The total prevalence was higher in boys (21.6%) than in girls (18.1%). The peak of the prevalence was observed at age 10 in both sexes (boys 33%, girls 27%) followed by a gradual decrease, which was more significant in the case of girls. Conclusions: On the basis of the recent Hungarian data, we have not detected any changes in overweight and obesity in the age group 3–9 years and we have found a significant decrease in the age group 7–14 years. Prevention of overweight and obesity in early childhood is essential.