Increases in Peripheral Systolic Pressure Levels and Z-score Associate Gradual Aortic Pressure Increase and Functional Arterial Impairment in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

© 2018 Bentham Science Publishers. Background: Arterial changes associated with children and adolescents high blood pressure (HBP) states would vary depending on the arterial type, arterial indexes considered and/or on blood pressure (BP) levels. Aims: To determine in children and adolescents: 1) if there is gradual structural-functional arterial impairment associated with gradual peripheral (brachial) systolic BP (pSBP) level or z-score increases, and 2) whether subjects with HBP levels and those with normal BP differ in the profiles of arterial changes associated with pSBP deviations. Methods: 1005 asymptomatic children and adolescents were included. Clinical, anthropometric and arterial non-invasive evaluations were performed. Heart rate, brachial BP, aortic BP and wave-derived parameters (i.e. augmentation index), carotid and femoral diameters, blood velocities and elastic modulus, carotid intima-media thickness and aortic pulse wave velocity, were obtained. Two groups were assembled: Reference (without cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs); n=379) and HBP (n=175). Additionally, subjects were ascribed to groups according to their pSBP z-scores (z-score≤0, 0