The importance of pulse wave velocity measurement in paediatric population with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases – Type 1 diabetes and chronic kidney disease

Abstract Arterial stiffness reflects the rigidity of the arterial wall. Studies of adult patients confirmed that arterial stiffness is a marker and risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Non-invasive methods for arterial stiffness measurement, such as pulse wave velocity, have been increasingly used in both research and clinical practices to determine arterial stiffness in the paediatric population as well. With widespread use of these non-invasive techniques in children and adolescents, the knowledge of factors and conditions associated with arterial stiffening has expanded rapidly over the past years. These factors include traditional cardiovascular risk factors as well as other conditions, e.g. prenatal growth restriction, metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, vasculitides and vasculopathies associated with various syndromes, congenital heart disease, and several systemic diseases. Early identification of increased arterial stiffness in childhood may lead to early intervention. However, interventional longitudinal studies will be necessary for determining whether the improvement of arterial function in normal and at-risk paediatric populations, will be associated with lowering cardiovascular risk in the early adulthood.