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Is Arterial Stiffness Increased in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients?
Author(s) -
Singh Shreya,
Blushke Corey R,
Boyes Natasha G,
Lahti Dana S,
Kosokowsky Kylee,
Marciniuk Darcy,
Butcher Scotty,
Erlandson Marta C,
Wright Kristi D,
Pharis Scott,
Pockett Charissa,
Tomczak Corey R
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.lb502
Subject(s) - arterial stiffness , pulse wave velocity , medicine , cardiology , sequela , young adult , blood pressure , surgery
Adult heart transplant recipients (HTR) have increased arterial stiffness, despite resolution of the underlying pre‐transplant diagnosis. The impaired vascular function may also contribute to the reported impaired exercise tolerance in these patients. Patient age and the duration and sequela of the pre‐transplant cardiovascular disorder significantly contribute to the increased arterial stiffness observed in adult HTR, while the direct role of immunosuppressive therapies is less understood. We tested the hypothesis that despite young age, pediatric HTR will display increased arterial stiffness owing to their significant pre‐transplant cardiovascular disease and post‐transplant physical inactivity. We also tested the hypothesis that arterial stiffness would be related to exercise tolerance (peak oxygen uptake, VO2). METHODS Six pediatric HTR (3 females and 3 males; 10 ± 3 years) and 12 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls (6 females and 6 males; 10 ± 2 years) were studied. Carotid‐radial pulse‐wave velocity by ECG‐gated sequential applanation tonometry was used to determine arterial stiffness. HTR subjects also completed a peak VO2 test by cycle ergometry. Data were analyzed through an independent samples t ‐test with significance differences being accepted at P < 0.05. RESULTS Pulse wave velocity was not different between HTR (8.50 ± 1.93 m/s) and the healthy controls (8.55 ± 1.52 m/s, P = 0.951). In addition, pulse wave velocity was not related to peak VO2 in HTR ( r = −.529, P = 0.140). CONCLUSION Unlike in adult HTR, pediatric HTR have normal arterial stiffness compared to healthy‐matched controls, and arterial stiffness was not related to peak VO2 in this pediatric population. These findings suggest that the pre‐transplant diagnosis sequela do not unfavorably alter arterial stiffness in young pediatric HTR and that reduced peak VO2 in pediatric HTR is not related to arterial stiffness. This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .