Arterial Stiffness, Distensibility, and Strain in Asthmatic Children

Abstract

BackgroundWe hypothesized that since asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease, it could lead to the early development of atherosclerosis in childhood-onset asthma. The aim of this study was to investigate arterial stiffness, distensibility, and strain of different peripheral arteries, the parameters of which can be used to detect atherosclerosis in asthmatic children.Material/MethodsWe studied 22 pediatric patients with asthma and 18 healthy children. Fasting blood glucose and cholesterol levels were evaluated to exclude children with diabetes and hyperlipidemia, which are risk factors for atherosclerosis. Renal, carotid, and brachial arteries diameters were measured. Using the measured data, stiffness, distensibility, and strain of the arteries of all children were calculated.ResultsPulse pressure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterols, and glucose levels of the obese individuals were similar to the controls. In carotid arteries there were no statistical differences regarding stiffness, distensibility, and strain. According to multiple ANCOVA analysis, distensibility and strain of right and left brachial arteries and right renal artery were higher, whereas right renal artery stiffness was lower in asthmatic children than in controls. Approximately one-fifth of the change in the left and right brachial arteries and right renal artery distensibility and strain and a small portion of the change in the right renal artery stiffness were associated with asthma. In contrast, left renal artery distensibility, strain, and stiffness were not associated with asthma.ConclusionsPeripheral arteries had higher distensibility and strain, and lower stiffness in asthmatic children than in controls.

Prevalence of Arterial Hypertension and Characteristics of Nocturnal Blood Pressure Profile of Asthma Patients According to Therapy and Severity of the Disease: The BADA Study

“…An inverse relationship between FEV 1 % predicted and systemic levels of inflammatory markers was demonstrated [25,26], and systemic inflammation in the setting of chronic lung disease is a strong and consistent marker of future cardiovascular events [27,28]. Future studies are needed to assess the role played by systemic inflammation in the development of cardiovascular comorbidities in asthmatic patients; at present, available data concerning the association between asthma, systemic inflammation and development of atherosclerotic damage are largely inconclusive [29][30][31][32].…”

Is there a gender-specific association between asthma and carotid intima media thickness in Swiss adolescents?

“…While the small number of girls in our study population limits the conclusion, that asthma has no effect on female adolescent CIMT, the finding generates questions about the sex specificity of cardiovascular risk factors and health in adolescence. Neither Cakmak et al [6] who investigated oxidative stress and CIMT in asthmatics and clinical controls nor Steinman et al [41] or Öskan et al [36] in their case-control studies on asthma and arterial stiffness in schoolaged children had investigated gender differences, possibly due to too small numbers. Studies on CIMT in childhood and youth, however, document early vascular gender differences.…”

The Relationship between Arterial Elasticity Parameters of Ascending Aorta, Abdominal Aorta and Carotid Arteries with Carotid Intima Media Thickness in Children with Bicuspid Aortic Valve

“…CA diameter and CIMT measurements were performed on the same arterial segment, 1-2 cm proximal to the bifurcation of the right and left CAs to measure the arterial diameters. 22 - 24 , 26 Carotid artery diameters were evaluated with 20 fr/sec for 10 seconds, while CIMT was evaluated with a frequency of 100 Mhz. Carotid intima-media thickness is defined as the distance from the leading edge of the lumen-intima interface to the media-adventitia interface of this wall.…”