Carotid artery intima-media thickness values in obese or overweight children: a meta-analysis

Carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) is a non-invasive ultrasound marker of early atherosclerosis. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to report the published differences in IMT values in children living with overweight or obesity compared to controls with normal weight.

This review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines, including only cohorts with normal controls. Inclusion criteria were IMT measured using B-mode or radiofrequency (RF) techniques and based on the four consensuses: American Heart Association, Association for European Pediatric Cardiology, Mannheim Consensus, and American Society of Echocardiography. We used the body mass index based on the World Health Organization growth standard definitions of obesity in children. Relevant articles were extracted from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science searched from inception to February 2024. A meta-analysis was done by a biostatistician using the R-software version 4.0.2.

We obtained 15 B-mode-based and two RF echo-tracking-based IMT measurement studies. IMT is significantly increased in children living with obesity. The mean IMT was 0.041 mm, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.052; 0.031 higher in children with overweight/obesity, using the B-mode technique, and 0.045 mm, 95% CI: 0.062; 0.029 higher in children with overweight/obesity using RF technique.

This meta-analysis shows that IMT is significantly increased in children with obesity compared to normal-weight children according to both techniques.

Question IMT measured according to known consensuses is significantly increased in children living with obesity.

Findings Mean IMT was 0.041 mm higher in children living with obesity using the B-mode technique and 0.045 mm using the RF technique.

Clinical relevance There are different techniques to measure IMT in children. This meta-analysis, using cohorts of children living with obesity compared to normal weight controls, shows a significantly increased IMT in children living with obesity.