D3.129 - Evaluation of Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Associated Factors in Childhood Asthma

Asthma is a disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation, which may also affect organs beyond the respiratory system. This study aimed to evaluate arterial stiffness, considered an early indicator of end-organ damage, in children with asthma and to examine factors influencing arterial stiffness.

This cross-sectional study, conducted between May and December 2025, included patients aged 8–18 years with asthma and healthy controls. Arterial stiffness and blood pressure measurements were performed using the Mobil-O-Graph device, which employs a noninvasive brachial oscillometric method. Pulse wave analysis was used to assess pulse wave velocity (PWV), central systolic and diastolic blood pressure (cSBP, cDBP), augmentation index (AIx@75), reflection magnitude (RM), and peripheral resistance. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software and  p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

A total of 60 children with asthma (M/F: 35/25; mean age: 12.5 ± 2.6 years) and 43 healthy controls (M/F: 25/18; mean age: 12.5 ± 3.0 years) were included in the study. Among children with asthma, PWV, cSBP, and AIx@75 values were above the 95th percentile in 11.7%, 23.3%, and 26.7% of patients, respectively. Diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, cDBP, PWV, and peripheral resistance were significantly higher in the asthma group compared with the control group (all p < 0.01). Factors associated with increased arterial stiffness in children with asthma were further analyzed. PWV and cSBP were higher in patients with increased height and weight SDS values. Patients receiving combination therapy showed lower arterial stiffness parameters compared with those receiving inhaled corticosteroid monotherapy. PWV was significantly higher in patients with passive smoke exposure (B = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.03–1.60, p = 0.04). The likelihood of being in a higher AIx@75 percentile group was increased in children with allergic rhinitis (OR = 4.44, 95% CI: 1.57–12.54, p = 0.005) and in those with lower asthma control scores (OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.61–0.95, p = 0.017). In multivariable linear regression analysis, weight SDS, height SDS, and smoke exposure explained 36.6% of the variability in PWV z-scores (ANOVA p < 0.001). 

Arterial stiffness parameters were increased in children with asthma, indicating an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease at an early stage. The brachial oscillometric method may serve as a practical and reliable screening tool for the early detection of asthma-related vascular changes in childhood.