What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Cross-Sectional. Population: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus or Overweight/Obesity (n=199). Intervention: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus or Overweight/Obesity vs. Healthy controls. Primary outcome: Arterial stiffness indices including pulse wave velocity (PWV) and central blood pressure (cBP).

What does this research mean for the field?

Children and adolescents over 10 years of age with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus or overweight/obesity exhibit impaired arterial elasticity, with the impairment being more pronounced in those with overweight/obesity. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

May 22, 2025

Arterial Stiffness in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus or Excess Weight

Key Result

In 199 children and adolescents, Type 1 diabetes and overweight/obesity were associated with significantly higher pulse wave velocity and central blood pressure compared to healthy controls.

Study Design

Type

Cross-Sectional (n=199)

Structured PICO

Do children and adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus or excess weight have increased arterial stiffness compared to healthy controls?

Population

199 children and adolescents aged 2-18 years, including 96 with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM), 49 with overweight or obesity, and 54 healthy controls.

Intervention

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) or overweight/obesity

Comparator

Healthy controls

Outcome

Arterial stiffness indices including pulse wave velocity (PWV) and central blood pressure (cBP)surrogate

Children and adolescents with T1DM or overweight/obesity exhibit impaired arterial elasticity, suggesting that pulse wave velocity could serve as an early diagnostic tool for subclinical vascular alterations.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The relationship between pediatric obesity or Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) and cardiovascular disease in adulthood is well established, with the pathophysiological mechanisms being already present in childhood. Arterial stiffness is a strong, independent predictor of cardiovascular disease in adulthood. In this study we evaluated arterial stiffness indices such as pulse wave velocity (PWV) and central blood pressure (cBP) in children and adolescents with T1DM or excess weight, in order to detect subclinical vascular alterations at a very early stage. METHODS: A total of 199 children and adolescents aged 2-18 years participated in the study, including 96 with T1DM, 49 with overweight or obesity, and 54 healthy controls. PWV and cBP was measured using the automated oscillometric device Mobil-O-Graph. RESULTS: Systolic BP (SBP) and central SBP (cSBP) were overall and especially in those > 10 years of age, significantly higher in both patients with overweight/obesity and those with T1DM compared to controls. Furthermore, overweight/obesity patients had higher SBP, cSBP and cDBP compared to T1DM patients, whereas DBP was significantly higher only in overweight/obesity patients compared to controls. Pulse wave velocity values were also significantly higher in both overweight/obesity patients and those with T1DM compared to controls, while overweight/obesity patients had higher PWV when compared to patients with T1DM. CONCLUSIONS: Impaired arterial elasticity was found in children and adolescents older than 10 years, with T1DM and overweight/obesity, particularly in the latter. PWV could potentially serve as diagnostic tool for impaired vascular health in children and adolescents with T1DM or overweight/obesity.

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