Dietary sodium intake relates to vascular health in children with type 1 diabetes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have vascular dysfunction and frequently struggle to adhere to dietary recommendations. Limited data exist for the vascular consequences of poor diet quality in children. We aimed to evaluate the association between dietary components and vascular function in children with T1D. METHODS: Cross-sectional study including 90 children (13.6 [3.5] years, 41 boys) with T1D. They had evaluation of dietary micro and macronutrients (Australian Child and Adolescent Eating Survey), vascular endothelial and smooth muscle function (flow-mediated dilatation and glyceryl trinitrate mediated dilatation [GTN], respectively), clinical and biochemical variables. RESULTS: Children had a sodium intake of 3.013 (0.76) (mean [SD]) g/day. Vascular smooth muscle dysfunction, as measured by GTN, related to higher daily sodium intake (r = -0.31, P = .003), independent of the inverse relationships between GTN and total energy (r = -0.30, P = .005) and fat intake (r = -0.28, P = .007). Multiregression model showed that an increase in 1 g of daily sodium intake was independently associated with a deterioration of 3 percentage units in GTN (95% CI -4.3, -0.9; P = .003). There was an association between sodium intake and systolic blood pressure after adjustment for age and gender (regression coefficient 2.4; 95% CI 0.5, 4.3; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: High dietary sodium intake in children with T1D is common and relates to vascular dysfunction, independently of other dietary intake, blood pressure, and glycemic control.

Early atherosclerosis is associated with retinal microvascular changes in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Adolescents with type 1 diabetes have early macrovascular changes (increased intima-media thickness [IMT]) and early retinal changes that predict clinical disease in adulthood. We hypothesized that early changes in the macrovascular and retinal microvascular beds develop in parallel before retinopathy develops. We therefore aimed to investigate the relationship between changes in atherosclerosis (carotid and aortic IMT) and retinal vascular geometry cross-sectionally and longitudinally in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: Ninety adolescents with type 1 diabetes (41 boys, aged 13.6 ± 3.5 years) who were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial had evaluations at baseline; 41 randomized to placebo were also investigated at 12 months for carotid and aortic IMT using ultrasound and retinal vascular geometry was measured from retinal photographs. RESULTS: There were significant associations between thicker mean/maximum carotid IMT and wider retinal arteriolar and venular calibers; for every 0.1 mm increase in mean carotid IMT, retinal arteriolar caliber increased by 7.90 µm (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.50, 11.30, P < 0.0001) and venular caliber by 9.61 µm (95% CI 4.16, 15.06, P = 0.0008). Increased mean aortic IMT was associated with increased arteriolar tortuosity (2.61, 95% CI 0.50, 4.71, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The early changes of atherosclerosis are associated with retinal microvascular changes in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. This supports parallel adverse changes in the macro and microvascular circulations from early adolescence in type 1 diabetes, and highlights the importance of early intervention.

Lack of evidence for progression of atherosclerosis during puberty in type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: Children with type 1 diabetes have early changes in vascular structure with increased aortic intima-media thickness (aIMT) or carotid IMT (cIMT). aIMT may be an earlier, more sensitive marker; however, longitudinal data in type 1 diabetes are lacking. This study will aim to evaluate changes in vascular structure (aIMT and cIMT) over 2 yr during puberty in children with type 1 diabetes and compare them with those in healthy children. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 110 children (aged 10-18 yr, 55 males) participated in a prospective cohort study, including 77 children with type 1 diabetes and 33 age- and sex-matched healthy children. Ultrasound assessments of aIMT and cIMT; and clinical and biochemical data were collected at baseline and 2 yr later. RESULTS: Mean and maximal aIMT or cIMT did not worsen over time in children with type 1 diabetes compared with healthy children. Longer duration of diabetes related to an increase in aIMT. Improvement in HDL cholesterol and leptin related to a decrease in aIMT. Higher baseline IMT related to an improvement in IMT in children with type 1 diabetes (mean and maximal aIMT: ß = -0.52, p < 0.001; ß = -0.49, p = 0.001, and mean and maximal cIMT: ß = -0.36, p = 0.003; ß = -0.40, p = 0.001), independent of cardiovascular risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Aortic and carotid IMT does not deteriorate during puberty in children with type 1 diabetes. This has implications for the design of interventional studies in this important age group.

A NOS3 polymorphism determines endothelial response to folate in children with type 1 diabetes or obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of polymorphisms in NOS3 and folate pathway enzymes on vascular function and folate status and endothelial response to folate in children with diabetes or obesity. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 244 subjects (age 13.8 ± 2.8 years, 125 males) were studied for NOS3 and/or folate pathway polymorphisms using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism, including at baseline: 139 with type 1 diabetes; 58 with obesity; and 47 controls. The effect of NOS3 genotype on endothelial response to folate (5 mg) was assessed in 85 subjects with diabetes and 28 obese subjects who received active treatment during intervention trials. Vascular function (flow-mediated dilatation [FMD] and glyceryl trinitrate-mediated dilatation), clinical, and biochemical measurements were assessed at baseline and 8 weeks in folate intervention studies. RESULTS: Folate pathway enzyme and NOS3 polymorphisms did not significantly affect baseline vascular function. The polymorphism in intron 4 of endothelial nitric oxide synthase altered endothelial response to folate significantly: in subjects with diabetes FMD improved by 6.4 ± 5% (insertion carriers) vs 2.3 ± 6.6% (deletion carriers), P = .01; in obese subjects FMD improved by 1.8 ± 5.4% (insertion carriers) and deteriorated by -3.2 ± 7.2% (deletion carriers), P = .05. More subjects carrying the insertion normalized FMD after folate supplementation (insertion 64% vs deletion 28%, χ(2) = 10.14, P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: A NOS3 polymorphism predicts endothelial response to folate in children with diabetes or obesity, with implications for vascular risk and folate intervention studies.

Flow-mediated dilatation, using time course data, shows maturation of the brachial artery from young children to mid-adolescents.

Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) is a tool widely used to measure arterial responsiveness to sheer stress. However, there is scant literature to show how the peripheral arterial response changes as the vascular system matures. One reason for this is that the feasibility of measuring FMD in younger children has not been established. The aim of the present study was to assess brachial artery function at rest and during the FMD response after 4 min ischaemia of the forearm in children aged 6-15 years. Time to reach maximum FMD (FMDmax ) was found to be correlated with age (r = 0.4, P < 0.05), resting brachial artery diameter (r = 0.4, P < 0.05), height (r = 0.4, P < 0.05), body mass index (BMI; r = 0.45, P < 0.05), body surface area (r = 0.44, P < 0.05) and resting blood flow (r = 0.37, P < 0.05). However, there was no correlation between the traditional FMD response at 60 s or FMD maximal dilation and age, resting brachial artery diameter, height, weight, BMI, body surface area and resting blood flow. In conclusion, the time taken to reach the maximal dilation response is related to age, brachial artery luminal diameter and body habitus, but not the traditional measure of FMD response at 60 s or the maximal dilatation percentage.

Utility of sonographic assessment of the position of the third part of the duodenum using water instillation in intestinal malrotation: a single-center retrospective audit.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal malrotation and particularly volvulus are potentially devastating conditions. Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) contrast studies have been considered the gold standard for diagnosis. However the use of ultrasonography (US) has been increasingly described. We describe a method for delineating the duodenal anatomy with US as a means to exclude malrotation. OBJECTIVE: To report our experience using US to assess intestinal rotation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective audit of US scans performed at a tertiary referral centre to exclude malrotation for paediatric surgery between 2008 and 2011. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-nine infants were included, of whom 114 had a normal US scan. Of the 114, nine had subsequent upper gastrointestinal contrast studies that confirmed the initial results; there were no false-negatives. There were abnormal US scans in four infants associated with midgut volvulus and malrotation; there were no false-positives. The other 21 US scans were equivocal, and 11 of these had a confirmatory UGI contrast study; only one required surgery to correct malrotation. CONCLUSION: US has been a safe and effective tool in the assessment of intestinal rotation at our institution. The main advantages of US imaging are its lack of ionising radiation and its rapid and accurate diagnosis of volvulus.

Diagnostic Ultrasound for Acute Appendicitis: The Gold Standard.

BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis may present a diagnostic dilemma. The aim of this study was to review the accuracy of ultrasound in the diagnosis of paediatric acute appendicitis. METHOD: Ultrasound studies performed for investigation of appendicitis during 2015-2021 were retrieved from a tertiary paediatric hospital database and reviewed. Medical records were reviewed to determine operative intervention, further imaging, and final diagnosis. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed by sensitivity, specificity, predictivity, and overall accuracy. All appendicectomy specimens underwent histopathological confirmation. This study was approved by the local Human Research Ethics Committee. RESULTS: A total of 8555 consecutive ultrasound examinations were performed during the study period. Mean patient age was 10.8 years ( ± 3.7). Overall diagnostic accuracy was 96.1% (8221/8555) with a visualisation rate of 91.0%. Sensitivity and specificity were 96.2% (CI 95.3-97.0%) and 96.1% (CI 95.6-96.5%), respectively. When limited to positive/negative scans, sensitivity was 99.6% (CI 99.2-99.8%) and specificity 99.0% (CI 98.7-99.3%). Positive and negative predictive values were 96.9% and 99.9%, respectively. Repeat ultrasound following a non-diagnostic scan led to a definitive diagnosis in 76.1%. Negative appendicectomy rate was 5.5% overall in children who had undergone pre-operative ultrasound (107/1938), and 4.4% when other surgical pathologies were excluded. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound examination provides gold-standard accuracy in the diagnosis of paediatric appendicitis and reduces rates of negative appendicectomy. Given the disadvantages of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound should be considered the first-line investigation of choice in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Folate fortification and supplementation do not provide vascular health benefits in type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the lowest effective dose-response of folic acid on endothelial function in children with type 1 diabetes. STUDY DESIGN: A randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 20 children with type 1 diabetes (age range 10-18 years) after mandatory folate fortification in Australia. Each child received orally 4 interventions (1 per month)-3 folic acid doses (0.5, 2, and 5 mg) and 1 placebo dose--in random order. The primary outcome was 2-hour postintervention change in endothelial function measured with flow-mediated dilatation (FMD). Thirty-five children with type 1 diabetes from our folic acid interventional trial before folate fortification were used for comparison. RESULTS: All children completed the study. There were no differences in baseline FMD or folate status between the visits. Folic acid supplementation increased serum folate (P = .0001) and red cell folate (P < .0001), but none of the doses improved FMD (P = .96). Baseline serum folate and red cell folate levels and FMD and glyceryl trinitrate-mediated dilatation were significantly higher in these children compared with children from our trial before mandatory folate fortification (P = .0001, .0001, .014, and .04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Folate status and vascular function have improved in children with type 1 diabetes since the introduction of mandatory folate fortification, but the beneficial endothelial effects of additional folic acid are no longer present.

Vascular function and glucose variability improve transiently following initiation of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion in children with type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The effect of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) and glucose variability on vascular health in type 1 diabetes (T1D) is not known. We aimed to determine whether initiation of CSII improves vascular function and reduces glucose variability, independent of changes in HbA1c. METHODS: Twenty-two children with T1D (12.5 ± 2.9 yr) were reviewed immediately prior, 3 wk, and 12 months after initiation of CSII. Vascular function [flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), glyceryl trinitrate-mediated dilatation (GTN)], glucose variability [mean of daily differences (MODD), mean amplitude of glycaemic excursions (MAGE) and continuous overlapping net glycaemic action (CONGA)], and clinical and biochemical data were measured at each visit. Results for the first two visits were compared to a previously studied cohort of 31 children with T1D who remained on multiple daily injections (MDI). RESULTS: FMD, GTN, blood pressure, HbA1c, fructosamine, and glucose variability significantly improved 3 wk after CSII commencement (all p < 0.05), but there was no change in the MDI control group. At 3 wk, vascular function related to glucose variability [(FMD: MODD, r = -0.62, p = 0.002) and (GTN: MAGE, r = -0.59, p = 0.004; CONGA-4, r = -0.51, p = 0.01; MODD, r = -0.62, p = 0.002)] but not to blood pressure, HbA1c, or fructosamine. At 12 months, FMD, GTN, blood pressure, and glucose variability returned to baseline levels, while HbA1c deteriorated. Carotid intima media thickness was unchanged over 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Initiation of CSII rapidly improves vascular function in association with decreased glucose variability; however, the effects are not sustained with deterioration of metabolic control and glucose variability.

Does metformin improve vascular health in children with type 1 diabetes? Protocol for a one year, double blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in Type 1 diabetes (T1D). Vascular dysfunction is an early and critical event in the development of cardiovascular disease. Children with T1D have vascular dysfunction therefore early interventions to improve vascular health are essential to reduce cardiovascular mortality in T1D. Metformin is an insulin sensitising agent which is known to improve vascular health outcomes in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and other individuals with insulin resistance. It has been used safely in children and adolescents with T2D for over 10 years. This study aims to assess the effect of metformin on vascular health in children with T1D. METHODS/DESIGN: This study is a 12 month, double blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial to determine the effect of metformin on vascular health in children (age 8-18) with T1D. The sample size is 76 with 38 children in the metformin group and 38 children in the placebo group. Vascular health and biochemical markers will be measured at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months. Vascular function will be measured using flow mediated dilatation and glyceryl trinitrate mediated dilatation of the brachial artery and vascular structure will be measured with carotid and aortic intima media thickness, using standardised protocols. DISCUSSION: This study will be the first to investigate the effect of metformin on vascular health in children with T1D. It will provide important information on a potential intervention to improve cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in this population at high risk from cardiovascular disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12611000148976.

Ultrasound guided hydrostatic enema reduction of ileocolic intussusception: a safe and effective technique.

BACKGROUND: Currently, the primary management of ileocolic intussusception in children is usually by non-operative image-guided enema reduction. In most centres around the world especially in Australasia the predominant technique is the pneumatic reduction under fluoroscopic guidance. At our institution, we have been performing ultrasound-guided hydrostatic reduction since 2012.This is an audit to determine the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided hydrostatic reduction for intussusception. METHODS: Following ethics approval, a retrospective review of all patients presenting to our institution with intussusception and subsequently undergoing hydrostatic reduction over a period of 9 years (2012 to-2020) was performed. The parameters studied included (i) successful reduction, (ii) recurrence, (iii) need for surgery and (iv) lead point at surgery. RESULTS: The mean age at presentation was 12 months. One hundred and eight children were diagnosed to have ileocolic intussusception. One hundred and six underwent ultrasound-guided hydrostatic reduction with successful reduction in 96 (90.5%) patients. Reduction was unsuccessful in 10 patients (9.5%). Of these eight were noted to have a pathological lead point (four-Meckel's diverticulum and four-Lymphoma) at the time of the surgery. The intussusception recurred in six patients (6.25%) within 24 h. No reduction related perforation occurred during the study period. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided hydrostatic reduction is a safe and effective technique for managing intussusception as it allows continuous monitoring of the reduction of the intussusception without exposing the children to ionizing radiation.

Adolescents with congenital adrenal hyperplasia because of 21-hydroxylase deficiency have vascular dysfunction.

CONTEXT: Patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) because of 21-hydroxylase deficiency have multiple vascular risk factors. Young adults with CAH have increased intima media thickness, but there have been no studies of vascular function and structure in children with CAH. OBJECTIVE: To establish whether children with CAH have reduced vascular function and increased carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) when compared to healthy and obese children. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Cross-sectional study of 14 patients (14.8 years ± 3.2, seven boys) with CAH secondary to 21-hydroxylase deficiency compared to 28 obese and 53 healthy controls. MEASUREMENTS: All subjects had assessment of endothelial function flow-mediated dilatation, (FMD), smooth muscle function glyceryl tri-nitrate dilatation (GTN) and cIMT. Anthropometric data, resting blood pressure and biochemical variables were also measured. RESULTS: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia subjects had significantly reduced FMD (4.5 ± 3.0% vs 7.5 ± 5.2%; P = 0.04) and GTN (17.2 ± 1.6% vs 28.4 ± 8.4%; P < 0.001) when compared to controls and the impairment was comparable to the obese cohort. There was no significant difference in cIMT between groups. CAH subjects had increased homoeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance [HOMA-IR 2.5 (0.2-2.9) vs 1.8 (0.5-4.2); P = 0.04], waist-to-height ratio (0.47 ± 0.05 vs 0.44 ± 0.04; P = 0.02) and higher systolic blood pressure Z score (0.29 ± 0.9 vs-0.24 ± 0.64, P = 0.01) compared to healthy controls but not when compared to obese controls. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects with CAH have evidence of vascular dysfunction by adolescence.

Ultrasound diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis - Time to change the criteria.

Introduction: Ultrasound is the examination of choice for the diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS). A correct diagnosis is dependent on the technique and measurement accuracy. However, in the world literature there is a wide range of values suggested for the diagnosis of this condition. The current minimum measurements used to diagnose HPS seem excessively large, and therefore, we set out to redefine these values. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 607 patients (615 scans) being investigated for HPS. The length and transverse diameter of the pyloric canal, and thickness of the pyloric muscle were measured. All results were correlated with clinical and surgical findings. Results: In this study, the muscle thickness in the normal group was <2.0 mm than in HPS infants having a muscle thickness of 2.0-5.0 mm. All the pyloric canal lengths in the normal group were <5.0 mm than in those with HPS having a length of 10.0-24.0 mm. The transverse diameters ranged from 6.0 to 11.0 mm in the normal group compared with those with HPS having a diameter between 8.0 and 16.0 mm. Conclusions: The current criteria for sonographic diagnosis of HPS should be redefined. The canal length is the single most important discriminator, with a clear separation between normal and abnormal. The commonly used 16.0-mm measurement is too long and should be reduced to 10.0 mm (without the risk of false positives). In many cases, the muscle thickness in those with HPS is as low as 2.0 mm, considerably less than the 3.0 mm that is currently used. The transverse diameter is not a useful discriminator for HPS. The use of current values will delay the diagnosis and timely treatment of this condition.

Ultrasound imaging as the first line of investigation to diagnose intestinal malrotation in children: Safety and efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Upper gastrointestinal contrast study is considered the gold standard investigation to diagnose intestinal malrotation and midgut volvulus which is potentially devastating condition. Ultrasound imaging is an alternative but has been considered unreliable due to significant false negative results. At our institution we have been using ultrasound imaging as the first line investigation to diagnose malrotation since 2008 with a preliminary study of 139 patients published in 2014. This is an ongoing audit of a further much larger cohort of patients to determine the efficacy and safety of ultrasound imaging in the diagnosis of intestinal malrotation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following ethics approval, a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected patient database undergoing ultrasound scans to exclude malrotation at our centre was performed from 2012 to 2019. RESULTS: 539 patients underwent ultrasound to assess for malrotation. The mean age of presentation was 365 days (median 30 days, mode 1 day). Malrotation was diagnosed in 17 with 5 having volvulus, with findings confirmed at surgery. 12 had equivocal findings and subsequent contrast studies ruled out malrotation. The remaining 510 patients with no evidence of malrotation were managed conservatively. CONCLUSION: We have shown ultrasound to be a safe and effective tool to assess intestinal malrotation without exposure to ionizing radiation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Vascular Function and Distribution of Adiponectin Isomers during Puberty in Children and Adolescents with Obesity.

INTRODUCTION: Youth with obesity have abnormal vascular function that relates to the anti-atherogenic adipose-derived hormone, adiponectin. The distribution of adiponectin isomers changes during normal puberty, but there are no data in relation to vascular function. We aimed to evaluate vascular function, adiponectin, and its isomers longitudinally in peri-pubertal youth with obesity and controls. METHODS: The study is a cohort longitudinal study involving 30 children and adolescents with obesity (body mass index [BMI] z-score 2.31 ± 0.24; age 12.8 ± 3 years, 17 male participants) and 28 age-/sex-matched healthy controls (12.8 ± 3 years, 14 male participants). Vascular function (flow-mediated dilatation [FMD], glyceryl trinitrate-mediated dilatation [GTN]), total adiponectin and isomers, and laboratory and clinical variables were assessed at 0, 18, and 36 months. RESULTS: FMD and GTN were stable during puberty in both groups, remaining consistently lower in obese children (p = 0.02, p < 0.001). The change in total (p = 0.02) and high-molecular weight (HMW) (p = 0.02) adiponectin differed between the groups: falling in controls by the end of puberty but not falling further during puberty in obesity. In obesity, impaired GTN was associated longitudinally with lower total (B = 7.85, p = 0.006) and HMW (B = 3.72, p = 0.03) adiponectin. In controls, more favourable GTN was longitudinally associated with a lower BMI z-score (B = -3.04, p = 0.027) and lower waist circumference (B = -0.35, p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Vascular dysfunction and lower levels of adiponectin are associated in children and adolescents with obesity during puberty and do not deteriorate further. Healthy children's better vascular function, within the normal range, is associated with a lower BMI z-score and waist circumference.

The coronal aorto-mesenteric orientation theory for post-operative nausea and vomiting following scoliosis surgery in children: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is often encountered following corrective scoliosis surgery in children, frequently attributed to high-dose opiate administration. PONV is a frequent cause of prolonged hospital stay. Mechanisms related to transient partial duodenal compression by narrow angulation of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and aorta following scoliosis surgery are poorly understood and might be implicated in PONV. This study investigates relationships between biomechanical anatomic variations of the SMA and aorta, and its relationship with clinically significant PONV following scoliosis surgery in children. METHODS: Children undergoing elective spinal arthrodesis for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were assessed by preoperative abdominal ultrasound and spinal X-ray prior to surgery. Post-operative assessment of clinically significant PONV is compared to preoperative imaging and clinical variables. RESULTS: Thirteen patients (11 female and two male), with a mean age of 14 years and 1 month were included. Five patients (38.5%) developed clinically significant PONV. A significant association was observed between the coronal aorto-mesenteric orientation and PONV (P = 0.035). Of the five patients who developed PONV, two had direct coronal angulation of the SMA, one had left angulation and two had right angulation. Patients with significant PONV had narrower aorto-mesenteric distances which approached significance (P = 0.06). No other preoperative variable reached significance. CONCLUSION: Patients with coronal aorto-mesenteric orientation preoperatively appear at greater risk of developing significant PONV following scoliosis surgery, independent of opiate requirements, prompting consideration of transient partial duodenal obstruction as an important factor in the mechanisms of PONV. A coronal aorto-mesenteric orientation theory (CAMOT) is proposed to explain this biomechanical vascular 'scissor'.

Aortic intima media thickness is an early marker of atherosclerosis in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To compare aortic intima media thickness (aIMT) to carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) as a marker of early atherosclerosis in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus and to examine the associations of aIMT to known cardiovascular risk factors. STUDY DESIGN: 66 children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (age, 14.1 +/- 2.5 years; 37 male) and 32 healthy control subjects (age, 14.2 +/- 3 years; 15 male) underwent assessment of vascular structure (cIMT and aIMT) and vascular function (flow mediated dilatation [FMD] and glyceryl trinitrate induced dilatation [GTN]). Fasting blood tests were taken to measure levels of hemoglobin A1c, high sensitive C reactive protein, total homocyst(e)ine, serum folate, red cell folate, and lipids. RESULTS: aIMT, but not cIMT, was significantly greater in the children with type 1 diabetes mellitus than in control subjects (P < .001). In children with type 1 diabetes mellitus, aIMT correlated with glycosylated hemoglobin (r = 0.31, P = .01) and was independently associated with age (beta = 0.38, P = .001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (beta = 0.38, P = .001). Vascular function (GTN) was worse in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus who had an aIMT >95th percentile, as defined with the control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: aIMT is an earlier marker than cIMT of preclinical atherosclerosis in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus and relates to known cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic control.