Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. As the studies concerning vascular alterations in pediatric patients are rare, we aimed to study the relationship between hypertension and arterial stiffness in adolescence by novel method independent from BP during examination. Twenty nonobese adolescent boys (16.5 ± 0.4 years) with newly diagnosed essential hypertension, 20 adolescent boys (16.7 ± 0.4 years) with newly diagnosed white-coat hypertension, and 20 healthy controls matched to age and body mass index were examined. Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), pre-ejection period (PEP), and ejection time (ET) were evaluated. CAVI was significantly increased in essential hypertension patients compared with controls (p < 0.05) with no significant difference in white-coat hypertension patients. Significantly higher baPWV was found in essential and white-coat hypertension patients compared with controls (both p < 0.001). White-coat hypertension patients showed significantly shortened PEP and ET compared with controls (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively) and essential hypertension patients (both p < 0.05). For the first time, the arterial stiffness in adolescents with newly diagnosed essential and white-coat hypertension was studied using BP-independent index CAVI combined with conventional baPWV. Our study revealed significantly increased CAVI in adolescents with newly diagnosed essential hypertension compared with controls. Our findings could help to understand hypertension-atherosclerosis interaction.
Keywords: activité sympathique; adolescent hypertension; arterial stiffness; atherosclerosis; athérosclérose; brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity; cardio-ankle vascular index; ejection time; essential hypertension; hypertension blouse blanche; hypertension chez l’adolescent; hypertension essentielle; indice vasculaire cœur à la cheville; pre-ejection period; période de prééjection; rigidité des artères; sympathetic activity; temps d’éjection; vitesse de l’onde de pouls brachial à la cheville; white-coat hypertension.