Mediative role of body mass index in cardiorespiratory fitness-associated vascular remodeling in youth.

Background: Data on fitness-associated arterial remodeling in children is limited. We assessed the relation between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and intima-media thickness (IMT), diameter, IMT:diameter-ratio (IDR), and tensile stress of the common carotid artery (CCA) in 697 healthy German schoolchildren. Further, we explored how body mass index (BMI) may influence these associations.

Vascular diameter and intima-media thickness to diameter ratio values of the carotid artery in 642 healthy children.

In children, arterial alterations occur with increased intima-media thickness as well as vascular diameter enlargement. Both conditions correlate with higher cardiovascular risk in adults, and both the array and proportion of these alterations are important hemodynamic parameters. In terms of functional adaptation processes, they influence several arterial wall properties as for example the shear and tensile stress of the vessel.

Beyond intima-media-thickness: Analysis of the carotid intima-media-roughness in a paediatric population.

Background And Aims: Subclinical atherosclerosis assessed by sonographic intima-media-thickness measurement of the carotid artery (cIMT) is considered to be an early precursor of cardiovascular disease already in childhood. Structural analysis of the carotid intimal layer (carotid intima-media-roughness, cIMR) improves cardiovascular risk profiling for the adult patient and has been shown to be increased also in paediatric patients with elevated cardiovascular risk. To date, normal values for the paediatric age are lacking.

Reduced arterial stiffness in very fit boys and girls.

Low cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with higher cardiovascular risk, whereas high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness protect the cardiovascular system. Carotid intima-media thickness and arterial distensibility are well-established parameters to identify subclinical cardiovascular disease. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength on carotid intima-media thickness and arterial distensibility in 697 children and adolescents (376 girls), aged 7-17 years.