Evaluation of subclinical cardiovascular risk in drug-naive pediatric patients with anxiety disorders

Objective This study examined subclinical atherosclerosis in drug-naïve children with anxiety disorders using non-invasive measures to investigate the clinical features associated with subclinical atherosclerosis. Method A total of 37 drug-naive children and adolescents with anxiety disorders and 37 healthy controls were included in the study. The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T and STAI-S) were used to assess children's depression and anxiety levels. Carotid artery intima-media (cIMT), epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), and periaortic adipose tissue (PAT) thicknesses, which are indicators of subclinical atherosclerosis, were obtained by echocardiographic measurements. Results Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) revealed a significant main effect on cIMT, EAT thickness, and PAT thickness, independent of confounding factors such as age, sex, body mass index, mean blood pressure, and family income (Pillai's Trace V = .76, F (1, 72) = 35.60, P < .001, ηp 2 = .76). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that cIMT, EAT thickness, and PAT thickness values were significantly higher in the anxiety disorder group compared to the the control group ( P < .001). In partial correlation analysis, a positive correlation was observed between STAI-T and cIMT and EAT thickness. In linear regression analyses, age and STAI-T were significantly correlated with cIMT and EAT thickness levels. Conclusions These results suggest that subclinical cardiovascular risk is significantly increased in children and adolescents with anxiety disorders.