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Clustering tool helps identify youth at risk for vascular disease, CVD
Shah A. Pediatrics. 2011;doi:10.1542/peds.2010-1125.
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A tool that classifies adolescents and young adults as having an elevated risk for cardiovascular disease may assist in predicting potential abnormalities in vascular function, according to a study published online.
Amy S. Shah, MD, and colleagues from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center collected data on 474 participants with a mean age of 18 years who had a low risk (meaning, less than one risk factor) or a high risk (meaning, more than two risk factors) for cardiovascular disease (CVD). They measured these factors using features such as elevated blood pressure, fasting glucose or insulin, age, sex and weight. The researchers also measured carotid thickness and stiffness.
The researchers found that those in the high-risk group typically had a higher intima-media thickness than those in the low-risk group (P<.05), even after they adjusted for age, race and gender.
The researchers said using this clustering tool compared with the Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth may be less helpful in younger cohorts compared with other more costly and time-consuming measures typically used in adults.
The researchers noted some limitations, notably the study’s cross-sectional design and the lack of inclusion of additional CVD risk factors such as inflammatory markers. Nevertheless, they concluded, “[this work] provides an advantageous tool for the practicing clinician to identify those youth who are at higher risk for early cardiovascular disease.”
Disclosure: Researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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