Objective: Most arterial stiffness studies have been conducted in adult populations as a part of the aging process in the arterial system. Arterial stiffness is an important early marker of disease identification that may lead to improved cardiovascular health. The aim of this study was to assess the gender and ethnic differences in the arterial stiffness levels among children and adolescents.
Design: From a subgroup of schoolchildren who participated in a prospective cohort study in Minnesota, Caucasian and African-American children who completed 16 timed visits were included in this report (n=487). The participants were followed from 1978 (7.68 +/- 0.72 years) to 1987 (16.65 +/- 0.71 years). A surrogate measure of arterial stiffness-arterial pulse pressure (APP in mmHg)--was used.
Results: Adjusted APP differences started to appear around 12.67 years and persisted throughout the study. Boys consistently had higher APP levels than the girls. Ethnic differences in adjusted APP levels were observed at an earlier age (7.68 years) but did not persist after age 10.
Conclusion: APP levels were different between gender and ethnic groups in youth. These early indications of arterial stiffness warrant further exploration of arterial stiffness etiology.