Carotid Artery Stiffness in Obese Children With the Metabolic Syndrome

Obesity and overweight have been associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness and stiffness in adults and children. Overweight and obesity have also been associated with an increased prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MS). The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that obese children with the MS have increased rigidity of their arteries compared with obese children without the MS. We studied 100 obese children (age range 6 to 14 years; 61 males, 39 females) consecutively seen in the outpatient clinic of a hospital department of pediatrics. Anthropometric measures and biochemical tests were performed in all children. Quantitative B-mode ultrasound scans were used to measure intima-media thickness and diameters of the common carotid artery. Common carotid arterial stiffness was significantly higher in the group of obese children with the MS (n = 38) at 1.29 ± 0.06 mm (values log transformed) versus 1.12 ± 0.04 mm (p