Persistent Aortic Stiffness and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Children of Diabetic Mothers
Victor Do, Luke Eckersley, Lily Lin, Sandra T. Davidge, Michael K. Stickland, Tiina Ojala, Jesús Serrano-Lomelin, Lisa K. Hornberger
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Fetuses of diabetic mothers develop left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and are at increased long-term risk of cardiovascular disease. In our previous longitudinal study from midgestation to late infancy we showed persistence of LV hypertrophy and increased aortic stiffness compared with infants of healthy mothers, the latter of which correlated with third trimester maternal hemoglobin A1c. In the present study, we reexamined the same cohort in early childhood to determine if these cardiovascular abnormalities persisted. METHODS: Height, weight, and right arm blood pressure were recorded. A full functional and structural echocardiogram was performed with offline analysis of LV posterior wall and interventricular septal diastolic thickness (IVSd), systolic and diastolic function, and aortic pulse wave velocity. Vascular reactivity was assessed using digital thermal monitoring. Participants also completed a physical activity questionnaire. RESULTS: < 0.0001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: CDMs show persistently increased interventricular septal thickness and aortic stiffness in early childhood.