High Blood Pressure States in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Associate Accelerated Vascular Aging, with a Higher Impact in Females' Arterial Properties.

The aims of the study were to determine (1) whether the presence of High blood pressure (HBP) states in the youth associate a steeper rate of age-related change in arterial geometrical and wall properties with respect to subjects with no previous cardiovascular risk factor (CRF) exposure, (2) in which parameters and in what magnitude, and (3) the existence of a gender-related difference in the impact of this condition on arterial properties. 300 individuals (mean/range: 15/4-29 years; 133 females) were included. Two groups were assembled: (1) Reference: nonprevious exposure to traditional CRF and (2) HBP: subjects with arterial hypertension and/or elevated blood pressure (BP) levels during the study. Additionally, HBP subjects were separated in BP-related subgroups. Measured parameters were (1) central (aortic) arterial BP and aortic pulse wave analysis parameters, (2) carotid and femoral artery local (pressure-strain elastic modulus) and regional (pulse wave velocity; PWV) stiffness, and (3) arterial diameters and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). Age-related changes in these parameters (absolute values and z-scores) were explored by obtaining simple linear regression models for each group. HBP presented a steeper rate of change (accelerated vascular aging; VA) for most of the parameters assessed, mainly in central (aortic) hemodynamics. VA increased as the HBP level got higher. Both males' and females' aging rates were affected by this condition, but females presented a more marked relative age-related increase with HBP exposure. HBP states in the youth gradually associate accelerated VA, with a progressive hemodynamic-structural-functional onset of damage, with females presenting a more marked relative HBP-associated arterial repercussion.

Growing-Related Changes in Arterial Properties of Healthy Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Nonexposed to Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Analysis of Gender-Related Differences.

The aims of our work were to determine normal aging rates for structural and functional arterial parameters in healthy children, adolescents, and young adults and to identify gender-related differences in these aging rates. Methods. 161 subjects (mean: 15 years (range: 4-28 years), 69 females) were studied. Subjects included had no congenital or chronic diseases, nor had they been previously exposed to traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Arterial parameters assessed were (1) central blood pressure (BP) and aortic pulse wave analysis, (2) arterial local (pressure-strain elastic modulus) and regional (pulse wave velocity, PWV) stiffness, and (3) arterial diameters and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). Simple linear regression models (age as the independent variable) were obtained for all the parameters and the resulting rates of change were compared between genders. Results. No gender-related differences were found in mean values of arterial structural and functional parameters in prepubertal ages (4-8 years), but they started to appear at ~15 years. Boys showed a greater rate of change for central systolic BP, central pulse pressure, CIMT, and carotid-femoral PWV. Conclusion. Gender-related differences in arterial characteristics of adults can be explained on the basis of different growing-related patterns between boys and girls, with no existing differences in prepubertal ages.