Carotid artery intima media thickness in obese children : 
relation with cardiovascular risk factors

Lee, Jin; Kwon, Hyo Jin; Park, Moon Ho; Jang, Ki Young; Lee, Kee-Hyoung; Lee, Kwang Chul; Son, Chang Sung; Lee, Joo Won

Original Article

Korean Journal of Pediatrics 2007;50(11):1091-1096.
Published online November 15, 2007.

Carotid artery intima media thickness in obese children : relation with cardiovascular risk factors

Jin Lee¹, Hyo Jin Kwon¹, Moon Ho Park², Ki Young Jang¹, Kee-Hyoung Lee¹, Kwang Chul Lee¹, Chang Sung Son¹, Joo Won Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea

비만 소아에서 경동맥 내중막 두께와 심혈관질환 위험인자와의 상관관계

이진^¹^, 권효진^¹^, 박문호^²^, 장기영^¹^, 이기형^¹^, 이광철^¹^, 손창성^¹^, 이주원^¹

^¹고려대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^²고려대학교 의과대학 신경과학교실

Correspondence:
Kee-Hyoung Lee, Email: khlee218@kumc.or.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: The of common carotid artery intima media thickness (IMT) is an acknowledged noninvasive marker for early atherosclerotic changes. We investigate whether common carotid IMT is different between obese and normal-weight children and also evaluate the relationships IMT with cardiovascular risk factors.
Methods
: We collected the clinical data (age, sex, pubertal stage, body mass index) and measured blood pressure, glucose, insulin, lipid profiles and adiponectin in 49 obese children (mean age, 12 years) and 24 nonobese children as controls. The control group was composed of 24 nonobese children of the same age, sex and pubertal stage. We measured the carotid IMT of all subjects by B-mode ultrasound with a 7.5-MHz linear transducer and analyzed.
Results
: Obese children demonstrated a significantly thicker intima media (mean, 0.34 mm, peak, 0.42 mm) compared to the control group (mean, 0.31 mm, peak, 0.38 mm, P<0.01). IMT was significantly correlated to the BMI (r=0.431, P<0.01), age (r=0.317, P<0.01), total cholesterol (r=0.377, P< 0.01), triglyceride (r=0.253, P<0.05) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r=0.289, P<0.05). Serum adiponectin was significantly lower in obese children than in controls (11.2 ng/mL vs. 14.7 ng/mL, P<0.05) and negatively related with IMT (r=-0.267, P<0.05).
Conclusion
: Obesity is associated with increased carotid artery IMT in children. Our results suggest vascular changes in obesity seem to occur already in childhood and vascular ultrasonography may helpful for screening cardiovascular complications in obese children.

Key Words: Aterial intima, Obesity, Child, Adiponectin