Giacomo Pucci1, Valeria Bisogni2, Francesca Battista3, Marco D'Abbondanza2, Fabio Anastasio4, Mariano E Crapa5, Leandro Sanesi2, Francesco Desantis6, Lucas Troiani7, Francesco Papi2, Gaetano Vaudo2. 1. Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy; Unit of Internal Medicine, Terni University Hospital, Terni, Italy. Electronic address: giacomo.pucci@unipg.it. 2. Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy; Unit of Internal Medicine, Terni University Hospital, Terni, Italy. 3. Department of Medicine, Sports and Exercise Medicine Division, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. 4. Unit of Cardiology, ASST-VAL Hospital of Sondrio, Sondrio, Italy. 5. U.O. Medicina Interna, Asl Taranto, Presidio Ospedaliero Occidentale, Castellaneta, Italy. 6. Unit of Sports Medicine, ASL Umbria 2, Terni, Italy. 7. Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Ideal Cardiovascular Health (ICH), defined as optimal levels of cardiovascular (CV) health factors and behaviors, has been reported to be very low in adults and children, with consequent several negative health outcomes and higher CV risk. The present study investigated the burden of ICH among Italian adolescents and its association with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV). METHODS AND RESULTS: 387 healthy adolescents (mean age 17.1 ± 1.4 years) attending the "G. Donatelli" High School in Terni, Italy, were evaluated. ICH was assessed through clinical evaluation, laboratory measures and interviewer-administered questionnaires. Cf-PWV was measured by arterial tonometry (SphygmoCor). For each ICH metric, a score of 2 was assigned for ideal levels, 1 for intermediate, and 0 for poor. All subjects showed at least one ICH metric, whereas none showed all ICH 7 metrics. The average number of ICH metrics was 4.3 ± 1.1. The highest rates were observed for fasting blood glucose (98%), whereas an ideal healthy diet was achieved only by 8% of subjects. The Cf-PWV was inversely and linearly associated with the sum of ICH metrics (p = 0.03) and the ICH score (p < 0.01). At the multivariate analysis, the association between ICH score and cf-PWV remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, heart rate, mean arterial pressure and other confounders (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: ICH is relatively uncommon among Italian adolescents and inversely related to cf-PWV. Our results showed a detrimental association between CV unhealthy factors and behaviors with increased aortic stiffness, which starts developing at an early stage of the lifespan.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Ideal Cardiovascular Health (ICH), defined as optimal levels of cardiovascular (CV) health factors and behaviors, has been reported to be very low in adults and children, with consequent several negative health outcomes and higher CV risk. The present study investigated the burden of ICH among Italian adolescents and its association with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV). METHODS AND RESULTS: 387 healthy adolescents (mean age 17.1 ± 1.4 years) attending the "G. Donatelli" High School in Terni, Italy, were evaluated. ICH was assessed through clinical evaluation, laboratory measures and interviewer-administered questionnaires. Cf-PWV was measured by arterial tonometry (SphygmoCor). For each ICH metric, a score of 2 was assigned for ideal levels, 1 for intermediate, and 0 for poor. All subjects showed at least one ICH metric, whereas none showed all ICH 7 metrics. The average number of ICH metrics was 4.3 ± 1.1. The highest rates were observed for fasting blood glucose (98%), whereas an ideal healthy diet was achieved only by 8% of subjects. The Cf-PWV was inversely and linearly associated with the sum of ICH metrics (p = 0.03) and the ICH score (p < 0.01). At the multivariate analysis, the association between ICH score and cf-PWV remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, heart rate, mean arterial pressure and other confounders (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION:ICH is relatively uncommon among Italian adolescents and inversely related to cf-PWV. Our results showed a detrimental association between CV unhealthy factors and behaviors with increased aortic stiffness, which starts developing at an early stage of the lifespan.
Authors: Simonetta Genovesi; Laura Montelisciani; Francesca Viazzi; Marco Giussani; Giulia Lieti; Ilenia Patti; Antonina Orlando; Laura Antolini; Paolo Salvi; Gianfranco Parati Journal: Front Cardiovasc Med Date: 2022-08-11