• Luzia Maria Dos Santos, Isabel Cristina Gomes, José Felippe Pinho, Claudia Marotta Neves-Alves, Giselle Santos Magalhães, Maria José Campagnole-Santos, and da Glória Rodrigues-MachadoMariaM0000-0002-9950-1707Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencias da Saude, Faculdade Ciencias Medicas de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, BR..
• Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencias da Saude, Faculdade Ciencias Medicas de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, BR.
• Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2021 Jan 1; 76: e2350.

ObjectivesTo investigate predictors and propose reference equations for the augmentation index normalized to 75 bpm heart rate (AIx@75) in healthy children and adolescents.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional, observational study involving 134 healthy children and adolescents aged 9 to 19 years old. Participants were categorized into child (n=53) and adolescent (n=81) groups, as well as into male (n=69) and female (n=65) groups. We evaluated AIx@75, vascular and hemodynamic parameters, anthropometric data, physical activity profile, and quality of life (Peds-QL4.0; physical, emotional, social and school domains).ResultsThe predictors of AIx@75 in the whole sample were age, peripheral diastolic blood pressure (pDBP), mean arterial pressure, pulse pressure amplification (PPA), systolic volume (SV), cardiac index (CI), and pulse wave velocity (PWV; R2=80.47%). In the male group, the predictors of AIx@75 were SV, CI, total vascular resistence (TVR), and PWV (R2=78.56%), while in the female group, they were pDBP, PPA, SV, and PWV (R2=82.45%). In the children, they were pDBP, PPA, SV, and PWV (R2=79.17%), while in the adolescents, they were body mass index, pDBP, PPA, SV, TVR, and PWV (R2=81.57%).ConclusionIn the present study, we used a representative sample from Belo Horizonte to establish normality values of AIx@75. We also identified, for the first time, independent predictors of AIx@75 in healthy children and adolescents categorized by sex and age. Determining AIx@75 reference equations may facilitate the early diagnosis of preclinical atherosclerosis and allow an objective measure of the vascular effects of therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying cardiovascular risk factors.

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