A rterial stiffness or decreased arterial distensibility has been implicated as a predictor of cardiovascular diseases.1,2 Cardiometabolic risk factors, such as high LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), elevated blood pressure (BP), and obesity, have been associated with arterial stiffness in adults. 3 We have shown that exposure to cardiometabolic risk markers in childhood is associated with decreased carotid artery distensibility (cdist) in adulthood. 4 Already at early age, obese children and those with familial hypercholesterolemia have stiffer arteries compared with lean, healthy peers in a cross-sectional setting. 5,6 We have previously reported in the longitudinal STRIP (Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project) studying healthy children that cdist and aortic distensibility (adist) decrease from childhood to early adulthood and that boys have markedly stiffer arteries than girls. 7 The STRIP dietary intervention focused on quality of fat was not associated with arterial distensibility at this early age. 7 We have also shown that childhood exposure to tobacco smoke is associated with decreased adist at age of 11 years 8 while higher cardiorespiratory fitness and ideal cardiovascular health score associate with increased arterial distensibility in adolescence. 9,10 However, to date, in healthy children, a comprehensive, longitudinal assessment of cardiometabolic determinants of arterial distensibility from childhood to adulthood is still lacking.Therefore, we studied in the prospective STRIP cohort the association of several cardiometabolic risk markers and dietary variables with distensibility of the 2 key arteries, aorta Abstract-Children who are obese or have familial hypercholesterolemia have stiffer arteries compared with lean, healthy peers. Limited data are, however, available on the association of cardiometabolic risk markers and arterial distensibility in healthy children, particularly in a longitudinal setting. Therefore, we studied in the prospective STRIP (Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project) comprising healthy, predominantly normal weight participants the association of several cardiometabolic and dietary risk markers with arterial distensibility from childhood to early adulthood. Carotid and aortic distensibility (cdist, adist) was assessed repeatedly with ultrasonography at the age of 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19 years in the longitudinal atherosclerosis prevention study (n cdist =420-503, n adist =407-476 Dietary variables were not independently associated with arterial distensibility. Participants with low arterial distensibility had higher body mass index (P cdist =0.0090, P adist =0.098) and higher systolic (P cdist <0.0001, P adist <0.0001) and diastolic blood pressures (P cdist <0.0001, P adist =0.0002) already from early childhood. Body mass index, blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and homeostasis model of insulin resistance identified since childhood associate with arterial distensibility in healthy children and adolescents. Thes...

Abstract-In adults, arterial distensibility decreases with age and relates to changes in cardiac left ventricular mass.Longitudinal data on changes in arterial distensibility from childhood to adulthood are lacking. Our aim was to study the effect of age and sex, and low-saturated fat dietary counseling on arterial distensibility from childhood to early adulthood. In addition, we assessed the association of arterial distensibility with left ventricular mass. Distensibility of the abdominal aorta and common carotid artery was measured repeatedly at ages 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19 years (n=395-472) in an atherosclerosis prevention trial (Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project [STRIP]). Aortic and carotid distensibility decreased with age (both P<0.0001). In boys, distensibility values were generally lower (P<0.0001) and showed steeper decrease by age (age and sex interaction: both P<0.01). The low-saturated fat dietary counseling given in STRIP was not significantly associated with arterial distensibility. Left ventricular mass increased with age (P<0.0001), and it was greater in boys (P<0.0001). In conclusion, a marked age-related decrease in vascular distensibility was found already at this young age, and this decrease was more pronounced in boys than girls. The longitudinal progression of aortic and carotid distensibility was related with changes in left ventricular mass. Clinical Trial Registration-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00223600.

Childhood ideal CVH score has a long-lasting effect on cardiac structure and function, and the association is evident already in childhood. Our findings support targeting the ideal CVH metrics as part of primordial prevention of cardiovascular diseases.