Author(s): WING, K., K. O’NEILL¹, L. TURNER ¹, S. FRYER¹, C. PATERSON 2 , Institution: UNIVERSITY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE, Country: UNITED KINGDOM, Abstract-ID: 930

INTRODUCTION:
Physical activity (PA), sedentary behaviours (SB), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are key determinants of cardiovascular health in adolescents. Whilst studies have associated these modifiable lifestyle factors with peripheral blood pressure, estimates of central blood pressure, augmentation index (AIx), and subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR) provide additional insight into the vascular health. Adolescence represents a critical developmental stage for the establishment of lifelong health behaviours, and the inclusion of central measures may help improve understanding of how modifiable lifestyle factors relate to cardiovascular health. As such we examined the relationships between estimates of peripheral and central blood pressure, PA, sedentary behaviour, and CRF in adolescents.
METHODS:
Thirty-one school-going adolescents (7 males, 24 females; 11–16 years) with no known medical conditions completed assessments of CRF, strength and cardiovascular health. PA and sedentary behaviour were measured using activPAL accelerometers worn continuously for six days, capturing stepping metrics, PA intensity (light, moderate, vigorous), total sedentary time, and sedentary bout duration. Cardiorespiratory fitness was estimated using the validated 3-minute Kasch Pulse Recovery Step Test [1]. Cardiovascular health was assessed using pulse wave analyses (PWA) (SphygmoCor Xcel), providing measures of peripheral and central blood pressure, AIx, AIx normalised to 75 bpm (AIx@75), SEVR, and resting heart rate.
RESULTS:
Following adjustment for BMI, Age and Tanner Scale, higher PA levels were associated with lower: central blood pressure (β = −1.38), lAIx (β = −1.16), heart rate (β = −2.93), and higher SEVR (all p < 0.05). Further, increased sedentary behaviours were associated with higher peripheral systolic blood pressure (β = 1.02, p = 0.022), higher resting heart rate (β = 3.26, p = 0.003), and lower (worse) SEVR (β = −5.73, p = 0.025).
CONCLUSION:
Higher PA and SB are independently associated with more favourable central and peripheral markers of vascular health in adolescents. These findings demonstrate the value of incorporating central measures, which remain under-explored in adolescents, to enhance understanding of how movement behaviours relate to cardiovascular health beyond traditional peripheral blood pressure assessments.

[1] Gupta P et al. (2023)