Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Association of hyperviscosity and subclinical atherosclerosis in obese schoolchildren

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Journal of Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Since December 2001, a total of 52 obese schoolchildren and 38 non-obese controls have undergone vascular ultrasound at our institution. From this cohort, we enrolled 40 obese children (16 girls, median age 12 years, mean body mass index (BMI) 27.5±4.6 kg/m2) and 26 non-obese peers (12 girls, median age 12 years, mean BMI 16.1±2.4 kg/m2) for the present study. We analysed the association between obesity, subclinical atherosclerosis and haemorheological variables, including whole blood viscosity (WBV) at four different shear rates (200 s-1, 30 s-1, 5 s-1 and 1 s-1), plasma viscosity, and serum lipid concentrations. Blood lipids and apolipoproteins were also determined and correlated with carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery, measured by high-resolution ultrasonography. WBV at 200 s-1, 30 s-1 and 5 s-1, as well as plasma viscosity, were significantly higher in the obesity group (all P <0.01). No difference was seen for WBV at 1 s-1, erythrocyte aggregation and haematocrit. WBV at high shear rates was significantly associated with BMI, increased IMT and decreased FMD ( P <0.05). After controlling for BMI on stepwise linear regression, WBV at 30 s-1 was the strongest predictor of IMT ( P <0.01) and FMD ( P <0.05) among our study variables. Conclusion: Hyperviscosity is related to subclinical atherosclerosis in obese schoolchildren. Viscosity parameters contribute new information in addition to body mass index, blood pressure and blood lipids and may help to facilitate risk stratification in obese paediatric patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

BMI :

body mass index

CCA :

common carotid artery

FMD :

flow-mediated dilatation

ICA :

internal carotid artery

IMT :

intima-media thickness

TC :

total cholestrol

TG :

total triglycerides

WBV :

whole blood viscosity

References

  1. Berenson GS (2002) Childhood risk factors predict adult risk associated with subclinical cardiovascular disease. The Bogalusa Heart Study. Am J Cardiol 90: 3L–7L

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Blann A, Bignell A, McCollum C (1998) Von Willebrand factor, fibrinogen and other plasma proteins as determinants of plasma viscosity. Atherosclerosis 139: 317–322

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Brun JF, Aloulou I, Varlet-Marie E (2004) Hemorheological aspects of the metabolic syndrome: markers of insulin resistance, obesity or hyperinsulinemia? Clin Hemorheol Microcirc 30: 203–209

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Cacciari E, Balsamo A, Palareti G, Cassio A, Argento R, Poggi M, Tassoni P, Cicognani A, Tacconi M, Pascucci MG (1988) Haemorheologic and fibrinolytic evaluation in obese children and adolescents. Eur J Pediatr 147: 381–394

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Cam H, Pusuroglu K, Aydin A, Ercan M (2003) Effects of hemorheological factors on the development of hypertension in diabetic children. J Trop Pediatr 49: 164–167

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Celermajer DS, Soerensen KE, Gooch VM, Spiegelhalter DJ, Miller OI, Sullivan ID, Lloyd JK, Deanfield JE (1992) Non-invasive detection of endothelial dysfunction in children and adults at risk of atherosclerosis. Lancet 340: 1111–1115

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Li S, Xu J, Berenson GS (2005) Metabolic syndrome variables at low levels in childhood are beneficially associated with adulthood cardiovascular risk: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Diabetes Care 28: 126–131

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Ciuffetti G, Schillaci G, Lombardini R, Pirro M, Vaudo G, Mannarino E (2005) Prognostic impact of low-shear whole blood viscosity in hypertensive men. Eur J Clin Invest 35: 93–98

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Dalmau Serra J, Vaya Montana A, Martinez Silvestre M, Blesa Baviera LC, Aznar Lucea J (1996) New markers of atherogenic risk: hemorrheological profile in children and adolescents with familial hypercholesterolemia. An Esp Pediatr 45: 393–397

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. De Groot E, Hovingh GK, Wiegman A, Duriez P, Smit AJ, Fruchart JC, Kastelein JJP (2004) Measurement of arterial wall thickness as a surrogate marker for atherosclerosis. Circulation 109: III-33–III-38

    Google Scholar 

  11. Fanari P, Somazzi R, Nasrawi F, Ticozzelli P, Grugni G, Agosti R, Longhini E (1993) Haemorheological changes in obese adolescents after short-term diet. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 17: 487–494

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Fowkes FG, Pell JP, Donnan PT, Housley E, Lowe GD, Riemersma RA, Prescott RJ (1994) Sex differences in susceptibility to etiologic factors for peripheral atherosclerosis. Importance of plasma fibrinogen and blood viscosity. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 14: 862–868

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Haszon I, Papp F, Kovacs J, Bors M, Nemeth I, Bereczki C, Turi S (2003) Platelet aggregation, blood viscosity and serum lipids in hypertensive and obese children. Eur J Pediatr 162: 385-390

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Iannuzzi A, Licenziati MR, Acampora C, Salvatore V, Auriemma L, Romano ML, Panico S, Rubba P, Trevisan M (2004) Increased carotid intima-media thickness and stiffness in obese children. Diabetes Care 27: 2506–2508

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Irace C, Ciamei M, Crivaro A, Fiaschi E, Madia A, Cortese C, Gnasso A (2003) Hematocrit is associated with carotid atherosclerosis in men but not in women. Coron Artery Dis 14: 279–284

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Järvisalo MJ, Putto-Laurila A, Jartti L, Lehtimäki T, Solakivi T, Rönnemaa T, Raitakari OT (2002) Carotid artery intima-media thickness in children with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes 51: 493–498

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Lee AJ, Mowbray PI, Lowe GD, Rumley A, Fowkes FG, Allan PL (1998) Blood viscosity and elevated carotid intima-media thickness in men and women: the Edinburgh Artery Study. Circulation 97: 1467–1473

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Lee CYJ, Kim KC, Park HW, Song JH, Lee CH (2004) Rheological properties of erythrocytes from male hypercholesterolemia. Microvasc Res 67: 133–138

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Levenson J, Gariepy J, Del-Pino M, Salomon J, Denarie N, Simon A (2000) Association of plasma viscosity and carotid thickening in a French working cohort. Am J Hypertens 13: 753–758

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Lo Presti R, Sinagra D, Montana M, Scarpitta AM, Catania A, Caimi G (2002) Haemorheological profile in metabolic syndrome. Clin Hemorheol Microcirc 26: 241–247

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Lowe GDO, Lee AJ, Rumley A, Price JF, Fowkes FGR (1997) Blood viscosity and risk of cardiovascular events: the Edinburgh Artery Study. Br J Haematol 96: 168–173

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Nordby G, Moan A, Kjeldsen SE, Os I (1995) Relationship between hemorheological factors and insulin sensitivity in normotensive and hypertensive premenopausal women. Am J Hypertens 8: 439–444

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Sola E, Vaya A, Contreras T, Falco C, Corella D, Hernandez A, Aznar J (2004) Rheological profile in severe and morbid obesity. Preliminary results. Clin Hemorheol Microcirc 30: 415–418

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Sorof JM, Alexandrov AV, Cardwell G, Portman RJ (2003) Carotid artery intimal-medial thickness and left ventricular hypertrophy in children with elevated blood pressure. Pediatrics 111: 61–66

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Sweetnam PM, Thomas HF, Yarnell JWG, Beswick AD, Baker IA, Elwood PC (1996) Fibrinogen, viscosity, and the 10-year incidence of ischaemic heart disease: the Caerphilly and Speedwell studies. Eur Heart J 17: 1814–1820

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Tonstad S, Joakimsen O, Stenland-Bugge E, Leren TP, Ose L, Rusell D, Bonaa KH (1996) Risk factors related to carotid intima-media thickness and plaque in children with familial hypercholesterolemia and control subjects. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 16: 984–991

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Woo KS, Chook P, Yu CW, Sung RY, Qiao M, Leung SS, Lam CW, Metreweli C, Celermajer DS (2004) Overweight in children is associated with arterial endothelial dysfunction and intima-media thickening. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 28: 852–857

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Zhu H, Wang ZW (2000) Establishing a quality control standard for blood viscosity determination (in Chinese). Chin J Clin Lab Sci 18: 95–96

    Google Scholar 

  29. Zhu WH, Huang XM, He J, Li MX, Neubauer H (2005) Arterial intima-media thickening and endothelial dysfunction in obese Chinese children. Eur J Pediatr 164: 337–344

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Henning Neubauer

    Present address: , Schmueckestrasse 94, 98528 , Suhl, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, Children’s Hospital affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China

    Weihua Zhu, Mengxia Li, Xianmei Huang & Henning Neubauer

Authors
  1. Weihua Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mengxia Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xianmei Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Henning Neubauer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Henning Neubauer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zhu, W., Li, M., Huang, X. et al. Association of hyperviscosity and subclinical atherosclerosis in obese schoolchildren. Eur J Pediatr 164, 639–645 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-005-1725-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-005-1725-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation