Elevated BP, diabetes, obesity accelerate vascular aging in teens
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Patients with elevated systolic BP, type 2 diabetes and obesity in early life had an accelerated progression of risk factors associated with early vascular aging, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
“We show that adolescence with obesity, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure have early signs of thicker blood vessels that are also stiffer,” Justin R. Ryder, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics in the Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine and associate director of research at the University of Minnesota Medical School of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, told Healio. “This only increases over time and is likely to increase risk for long-term cardiovascular complications and has the potential to make them occur early in adulthood than if they were normal weight and had normal blood pressure. Aggressive treatment is likely needed to prevent this high cardiovascular disease risk.”
Several primary metrics were used to determine early vascular aging, including measures of arterial stiffness and vascular structure, which were measured at baseline and 5 years.
Patients with obesity had a greater positive change in bulb carotid intima-media thickness (0.02 mm; 95% CI, 0-0.05), internal carotid intima-media thickness (0.03 mm; 95% CI, 0.01-0.05), common carotid intima-media thickness (0.05 mm; 95% CI, 0.03-0.06) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (0.38 m/sec; 95% CI, 0.14-0.61) compared with those with normal weight.
These greater positive changes were also observed in patients with type 2 diabetes vs. those with normal weight for bulb carotid intima-media thickness (0.06 mm; 95% CI, 0.04-0.09), common carotid intima-media thickness (0.05 mm; 95% CI, 0.04-0.07), internal carotid intima-media thickness (0.04 mm; 95% CI, 0.02-0.07), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (0.74 m/sec; 95% CI, 0.46-1.02) and augmentation index (4.67%; 95% CI, 2.2-7.13).
Patients with higher systolic BP at baseline had a greater positive change in bulb carotid intima-media thickness (0.009 mm; 95% CI, 0.002-0.016), internal carotid intima-media thickness (0.008 mm; 95% CI, 0.003-0.013), common carotid intima-media thickness (0.007 mm; 95% CI, 0.003-0.011) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (0.066 m/sec; 95% CI, 0.002-0.13).
“Treating obesity, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure seriously and intensively is likely needed to reduce the risk for early cardiovascular complications,” Ryder said in an interview. “Parents of teens with obesity, type 2 diabetes and/or high blood pressure should not think their child will simply grow out of them; they likely will not. Most importantly, they should seek medical attention to treat these diseases as aggressively as possible until they are under control to prevent premature cardiovascular disease.” – by Darlene Dobkowski
For more information:
Justin R. Ryder, PhD, can be reached at jrryder@umn.edu.
Disclosures: Ryder reports he receives support from Boehringer Ingelheim. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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