{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T16:38:13Z","timestamp":1790699893184,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,3]],"date-time":"2025-05-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1746230400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,3]],"date-time":"2025-05-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1746230400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pediatr Res"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Non-invasive methods assessing subclinical atherosclerosis, such as carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), are well-described in adults but less so in the paediatric population. Other techniques, such as aortic IMT, may be more appropriate in children. This study aimed to characterise age-related changes to arterial vasculature using best practice methodology for these measures.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This cross-sectional study involved 97 healthy volunteers aged 2 to 20 (mean age 11.2 years [SD 5.1]). Carotid and aortic IMT were measured using high-resolution ultrasound. A validated semi-automated cuff-based device was used to measure cfPWV.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Aortic IMT showed a significant age-related increase of 9\u2009\u03bcm per year [95% CI: 6, 12],\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&lt;\u20090.0001) during childhood and adolescence, whilst carotid IMT was significantly associated with male sex (29 \u03bcm per year [95% CI: 11, 48],\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.002) during this period. cfPWV exhibited an age-related increase from nine years of age onwards (0.11\u2009ms\n                      <jats:sup>-1<\/jats:sup>\n                      per year [95% CI: 0.06, 0.15],\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&lt;\u20090.001).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Age-related changes in the arterial vasculature vary between sites and methodologies. During childhood, aortic IMT appears to be a more sensitive marker for early structural changes and should be prioritised over carotid IMT and cfPWV.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Impact<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:list list-type=\"bullet\">\n                        <jats:list-item>\n                          <jats:p>Understanding age-related changes in arterial vasculature via non-invasive measures is poorly described in childhood and adolescence.<\/jats:p>\n                        <\/jats:list-item>\n                        <jats:list-item>\n                          <jats:p>This study finds that the timing and magnitude of age-related changes vary across arterial beds and between non-invasive measures in the first two decades of life.<\/jats:p>\n                        <\/jats:list-item>\n                        <jats:list-item>\n                          <jats:p>Aortic intima-media thickness is a more age-appropriate measure of early structural changes in the young than the more widely used carotid intima-media thickness.<\/jats:p>\n                        <\/jats:list-item>\n                        <jats:list-item>\n                          <jats:p>Furthermore, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, a measure of aortic stiffness, is best evaluated in late childhood and adolescence and likely has little relevance in early childhood.<\/jats:p>\n                        <\/jats:list-item>\n                      <\/jats:list>\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1038\/s41390-025-04041-w","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,2]],"date-time":"2025-05-02T19:08:39Z","timestamp":1746212919000},"page":"2394-2400","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["A cross-sectional study of non-invasive markers of vascular health in children and adolescents"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"98","author":[{"given":"Reeja F.","family":"Nasir","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tommy Y.","family":"Cai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alice","family":"Meroni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hasthi","family":"Dissanayake","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adrienne","family":"Gordon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"David S.","family":"Celermajer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michael R.","family":"Skilton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"4041_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2317","DOI":"10.1097\/00004872-200212000-00002","volume":"20","author":"ML Bots","year":"2002","unstructured":"Bots, M. 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This position was established through a gift from the Blackmores Institute (Warriewood, NSW, Australia). M.R.S. did not receive research funding or in-kind support from Blackmores Limited. The authors declare no other conflicts of interest.","order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}},{"value":"This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Sydney Local Health District (Protocol No. X16-0065 and HREC\/16\/RPAH\/18). Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study or their parents for those under 18 years if age.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethical approval and consent to participate"}}]}}