Background. Carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), a marker of arterial stiffness, is an independent predictor of CV mortality in adults. PWV in children is associated with age and body dimensions. Objective. To assess the effect of being overweight and/or stunted on PWV. Methods. This study comprised 106 boys and 98 girls (10‐18 yr of age) living in Guatemala City, divided in 4 groups: 36 normal weight non‐stunted (NW‐NS, BMI‐z < +1; HtA‐z >‐1), 85 normal weight stunted (NW‐S, BMI‐z < +1; HtA‐z s 蠄 ‐1), 36 overweight non‐stunted (OW‐NS, BMI‐z 蠅 +1; HtA‐z >‐1), and 47 overweight stunted (OW‐S, BMI‐z 蠅 +1; HtA‐z e 蠄 ‐1). Fat free mass (FFM, kg) and %fat (deuterium dilution technique), blood pressure (median of 3 measures), sexual maturation (self‐assessment, Tanner stage), and PWV (applanation tonometry, Sphygmocor, AtCor Medical) were measured. Results. There were significant differences among groups in age and sex, but not for Tanner stage. PWV means were lower in NW‐NS compared to the other groups (p<0.01). After adjusting by age, sex, fat, and height, the PWV in OW‐S (4.77 ± 0.10 m/s) was higher than in OW‐NS (4.68 ± 0.09, p<0.01), and both NW groups had lower values (NW‐NS 4.57 ± 0.12, NW‐S, 4.62 ± 0.11), although NW groups didn’t differ from each other. Conclusion. Stunting and being overweight are risk factors of arterial stiffness in adolescents.
Grant Funding Source: Supported by International Atomic Energy Agency
