Arterial Stiffness Assessment in Children with Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Abstract

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the genetic disease which characterized by an increase of level total cholesterol and low density lipoproteins since childhood. The aim of the study was to assess arterial stiffness in children with heterozygous FH by measuring the pulse wave velocity (PWV) in the aorta. The study involved 118 children, 60 healthy children in the control group and 58 children with heterozygous FH in the main group. Both groups were divided into 3 age subgroups: 5–7 years old, 8–12 years old and 13–17 years old. The diagnosis of FH was made using British criteria by Simon Broome. The lipid profile was determined for all children, blood pressure was monitored daily with an estimate of the minimum, mean and maximum PWV (PWVmin, mean PWV, PWVmax) in aorta using oscillometric method. Correlation analysis in patients with FH revealed direct correlation between PWVmin, mean PWV and PWVmax with total cholesterol (r = 0.46, r = 0.46 and r = 0.464, respectively, p < 0.001). The study demonstrates an increase in the PWV in the aorta in children with FH compared with healthy peers from 8–12 years of age and a progression of arterial stiffness most significant in the group of 13–17 years.