Arterial Elasticity and Related Influencing Factors in Children With Essential Hypertension

Abstract OBJECTIVE To evaluate arterial elasticity in children with essential hypertension by measuring carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and ankle–brachial pulse wave velocity (baPWV), and to explore the related influencing factors. METHODS One hundred and sixty-six children with essential hypertension were recruited from April 2021 to April 2022, and were divided into hypertension grade 1 (138 cases) and hypertension grade 2 (28 cases) groups, according to the blood pressure levels. Thirty children with normal blood pressure during the same period were recruited as controls. The cfPWV was measured by SphygmoCor cardiovascular function detector, and the baPWV was measured by Omron arteriosclerosis detector. The influencing factors of cfPWV and baPWV in children with essential hypertension were identified by univariate and multifactor linear regression analysis. RESULTS The cfPWV and baPWV of children in hypertension grade 2 group were significantly higher than those of children in hypertension grade 1 group and the control group (cfPWV: 5.8 [5.3, 6.6] vs. 5.5 [5.0, 6.1] vs. 5.1 [4.5, 5.4] m/s, H = 16.609, P < 0.001; baPWV: 1073.8 [972.1, 1174.0] vs. 964.0 [886.0, 1073.3] vs. 907.8 [862.4, 980.6] cm/s, H = 22.054, P < 0.001]. Multifactor linear regression analysis showed that body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were independent influencing factors of cfPWV (P < 0.05). Age, SBP, and DBP were independent influencing factors of baPWV (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Both cfPWV and baPWV are increased in children with essential hypertension, suggesting that their arterial elasticity is decreased. Age, BMI, SBP, and DBP are independent risk factors for decreased arterial elasticity in children with essential hypertension.