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Introduction: Arterial stiffness is known to be associated with atherosclerosis, cardiac remodelling and cardiovascular diseases. In recent studies, common carotid artery rigidity was seen to better predict cardiac morphology and function if compared to aortic parameters. The aim of the study was to determine the relation between carotid/aortic stiffness indices and the main echocardiographic measures in patients with rheumatological disease. Methods: 208 participants were evaluated (57,4 ± 11,4 yr; males = 36,1%); 65,9% were previously diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, 20,2% with psoriatic arthritis and 13,9% with ankylosing spondylitis. In each subjects medical history, use of drugs and glico-metabolic status was assessed. Echocardiography, blood pressure (BP) measurement and carotid ultrasonography were performed. Carotid Distensibility (CD) and Aortic Stiffness (AoS) were measured as indices of arterial stiffness. Results: Mean Left Ventricular Mass indexed by body surface area (LVM/BSA) and Relative Wall Thickness (RWT) were 98,8 ± 20,7 g/m2 and 0,46 ± 0,06, respectively. In multiple regression analysis, DC was correlated with age (β = 0,325, p < 0,0001) and mean BP (β = 0,502, p < 0,0001) while AoS was not associated with any anthropometric, anamnestic and vascular parameters. DC has been seen to inversely correlate with LVM/BSA (r = −0,20, p = 0,005), Intraventricular Septum and Posterior Wall Thickenss; a direct correlation between AoS and left E/e’ (a diastolic function indicator) has emerged (r = 0,191, p = 0,007). Conclusion: Results are consistent with a possible predictive role of DC assessment in left cardiac hypertrophy and remodelling and a direct link between AoS and left ventricular diastolic function.

Objective: To investigate the influence of weight excess and blood pressure (BP) on vascular structure and function in a sample of obese children. Methods: We measured office and ambulatory BP (ABPM), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), endothelial function by the Flow Mediated Dilation (FMD) technique, carotid distensibility (cDC) (ultrasonograph: LogiQ P5 Pro; software: Multimedia Video Engine II, DSP Lab, Pisa CNR, Italy) (1) and stiffness index (SI) by photopletismography (Pulce Trace PT1000, MicroMedical Ltd, UK) (2) in overweight and obese children (BMI > 90th percentile for sex and age). Results: Seventy children with weight excess were enrolled (age 11.5±2.4 years; female n: 30). cDC showed inverse correlation with BMI and waist circumference (rSpearman = −0.403 and rs = −0.346, respectively), 24h-SBP (rs = −0.449) and nighttime-SBP (rs = −0.490). SI inversely correlated with BMI (rs = −0.359) and waist/height ratio (rs = −0.303). When comparing normotensive and hypertensive children, as defined on the basis of the ABPM, no significant differences in vascular tests were found, although cDC tended to be lower in hypertensive. In normotensive subjects (n: 53) cIMT directly correlated with nighttime-SBP and DBP. Most of the correlations remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, BMI and BP. Conclusions: These data suggest that arterial elasticity is negatively affected by weight excess and 24h-BP levels even in childhood. In the normotensive subgroup it is detectable an effect of BP also on arterial structure.