Background: This study aims to investigate aortic stiffness, distensibility, and strain, which can be used to detect atherosclerosis in asthmatic children, and their impact on cardiac functions.

Methods: Between January 2012 and November 2014, a total of 21 pediatric patients (11 males, 10 females; mean age: 11.3±3.2 years; range, 6 to 15 years) with asthma and 17 healthy children (10 males, 7 females; mean age 12.8±3.8 years; range 7 to 16 years) were included. Using abdominal ultrasound, the stiffness, distensibility, and strain of the abdominal aorta were calculated. Echocardiographic examination was also performed on all children.

Results: Aortic stiffness was higher, while distensibility and strain values were lower in the asthmatic group, compared to the controls. Of the difference in the aortic strain, 30.3% was due to asthma, 22.5% to pulse pressure, 21.8% to mid-wall shortening fraction, and 17.2% to the left ventricular meridional wall stress. There was a very strong linear correlation between the left ventricular mass index and meridional wall stress (r=0.934), myocardial fiber stress (r=0.918), and predicted mid-wall fiber shortening for a measured fiber stress (r=0.918). Of the difference in the aortic distensibility, 40.6% was due to asthma, 18% to systolic blood pressure, and 12.2% to meridional end-systolic wall stress. Of the difference in the aortic stiffness, 24.7% was related to the diastolic blood pressure, 20.3% to ejection time, and 17.4% to the age variability.

Conclusion: According to our study results, aortic distensibility and strain decrease, while aortic stiffness increases in asthmatic children. Therefore, we suggest that asthmatic children should be followed closely for the development of atherosclerosis.

Keywords : Aorta; asthma; atherosclerosis; children; cardiac function