Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity in Children in South Africa: Reference Values for the Vicorder Device.

ABSTRACT: Atherosclerosis often starts in childhood, tracking to adulthood. In children, early vascular disease can be detected as arterial stiffness. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity is considered the non-invasive gold standard method for measuring arterial stiffness and widely accepted for use in children. We define pulse wave velocity (PWV) reference values for African children, in a cohort of children and adolescents living in Cape Town, South Africa, using the oscillometric Vicorder device, and considering the anatomical pathway in growing children. Three hundred and twenty four children (6-16 years old) were followed annually at Tygerberg Hospital, from March 2014 to March 2020, yielding 959 longitudinal PWV measurements. Centile curves for males and females by age and height were construct

SUBMITTER: Davies C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12779766 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature