Comparing the Effect of Age and BMI on Aortic Elasticity in Diabetes Mellitus Type I and Healthy Children

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic illnesses in children, affecting various organs, including the heart.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of age and Body Mass Index (BMI) on aortic elasticity in children with diabetes mellitus type I (DMTI) and healthy children.

This case-control study was conducted on 186 children aged 4 to 18 years, equally divided into healthy and DMTI groups, at Aliasghar Pediatric Hospital in Zahedan, southeast Iran, from April 2020 for one year. Consent forms were obtained following study approval. Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) measures, aortic elasticity parameters, blood pressure (BP), and anthropometric measures were evaluated in the participants. Data were analyzed using SPSS for Windows, version 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). A P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The study compared heart indices between children with DMTI and healthy children. The analysis revealed that height (P < 0.001), weight (P < 0.001), and BMI (P < 0.001) were lower in children with DMTI. Elasticity parameters, including ASβI (P < 0.001) and PSEM (P = 0.039), were higher, while AS (P < 0.001) and AD (P < 0.001) were lower in children with DMTI. Elasticity parameters varied with age and BMI in both groups, with some exceptions. None of the cardiac findings differed in children with DMTI who had HbA1c < 7 compared to those with HbA1c ≥ 7.

The study concluded that aortic strain and aortic distensibility (AD) decreased while the aortic stiffness beta index and pressure strain elastic modulus increased in children with DMTI. Normal BMI and younger age were two important factors associated with accelerated stiffening in children with DMTI. The level of HbA1c did not affect cardiac parameters, particularly stiffening, in these children.