Evaluation of subclinical cardiovascular risk in drug-naive pediatric patients with anxiety disorders

Objective This study aims to evaluate subclinical atherosclerosis in drug-naive children with anxiety disorders using non-invasive measures and to investigate the clinical features associated with subclinical atherosclerosis. Method This study included 37 drug-naive children and adolescents with anxiety disorders and 37 healthy controls. The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T and STAI-S) were used to assess children's depression and anxiety levels. Carotid artery intima-media (cIMT), epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), and periaortic adipose tissue (PAT) thicknesses, which are indicators of subclinical atherosclerosis, were obtained by echocardiographic measurements. Results Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) revealed a significant main effect for cIMT, EAT thickness, and PAT thickness in both groups, independent of confounding factors such as age, sex, body mass index, mean blood pressure, and family income (Pillai's Trace V = .76, F (1, 72) = 35.60, P < .001, & eta;p(2) = .76). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that cIMT, EAT thickness, and PAT thickness values were significantly higher in the anxiety disorder group than in the control group (P < .001). In partial correlation analysis, a positive correlation was observed between STAI-T and cIMT, and EAT thickness. In linear regression analyses, age and STAI-T were identified as correlates of cIMT and EAT thickness levels. Conclusions These results suggest that subclinical cardiovascular risk is significantly increased in children and adolescents with anxiety disorders.

Journal

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY IN MEDICINE

Year

2024

Volume

59

Issue

2

Pages

153-166

ISSN

0091-2174

eISSN

1541-3527

DOI

10.1177/00912174231196342

WoS UID

WOS:001047871900001