Increased stiffness of the aorta in children and adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

An ultrasonic system fitted with echo-tracking circuits was used to investigate the mechanical properties of the descending aorta in children and adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM). Seventy-six children and adolescents (aged 5-20 years) with uncomplicated diabetes and 75 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were examined. All subjects were normotensive. A nonlinear correlation between the stiffness index of the aorta and the age was found in both the diabetic (r = 0.47; P < 0.001) and control group (r = 0.57; P < 0.001). The stiffness index was higher among the diabetic subjects as compared to the controls (P < 0.01). No difference regarding stiffness of the aorta was found between genders in either of the groups. No correlation was observed between the stiffness index and the duration or degree of the metabolic control of diabetes. Our study demonstrated an increased stiffness of the aorta in children and adolescents with IDDM at the stage when no vascular complications were detected clinically.