Association between lifestyle modifications and improvement of early cardiac damage in children and adolescents with excess weight and/or high blood pressure

Background It is not known whether, in children and adolescents with alterations in weight and/or blood pressure (BP), lifestyle modifications are associated with an improvement of early cardiac damage. Methods In a pediatric population referred for excess weight, high BP, or both ( n = 278, 10.6 (2.3) years), echocardiography was performed at enrollment and after 15 months of follow-up, during which participants received nonpharmacological treatment, based on correcting unhealthy lifestyles and improving dietary habits. Left ventricular mass was indexed for height (g/m 2.7 , LVMI), and an LVMI value higher than or equal to age- and gender-specific 95 th percentile was the criterion for defining left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were carried out to determine associations between changes in BMI and BP z-scores and changes of LVMI values and LVH prevalence, from baseline to follow-up. Results At baseline, 33.1% of study participants were hypertensive, 52.9% obese, and 36.3% had LVH. At follow-up, the prevalence of hypertension, obesity, and LVH was 18.7%, 30.2%, and 22.3%, respectively ( p < 0.001 for all). A decrease in LVMI from 37.1 to 35.2 g/m 2.7 ( p < 0.001) was observed. Only delta BMI z-score positively related to an improvement of LVMI. Reductions of BMI (OR = 0.22, 95% CI 0.07–0.64) and diastolic BP (OR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.42–0.93) z-scores from baseline to follow-up and family history of hypertension (OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.16–0.78) were associated with a lower prevalence of LVH. Conclusions In a pediatric population at cardiovascular risk, changing incorrect lifestyle and dietary habits is associated with both reduction of BMI and BP values and regression of early cardiac damage.