Canalization evaluation of the cardiovascular risk factors after a 25-year period

Introduction. Different studies have indicated that having had any type of cardiovascular risk factor (CVRF) as a child predisposes to continuing to have it as an adult. Our objective has been to analyze if the CVRFs (overweight/ obesity, hypertension, metabolic syndrome) had canalization in the adult age. Material and methods. Observational, descriptive, longitudinal and prospective study with two cutoffs (1992 and 2018). Patients of the Asturian cohort of the RICARDIN study were offered to participate in the study. Somatometric measurements and blood pressure measurements as well as blood drawing at fasting to determine levels of glucose and lipid profile were performed. Statistical analysis: correlation tests, T tests for paired data (quantitative variables) and Mc Nemar tests (categorical variables); binary logistic regression to calculate the odds ratio of presenting elevated levels of CVRF in 2018, using their levels in 1992 as independent variable. Results. 72 patients were studied. 60 % of the participants with overweightness and 100% of those who presented obesity in 1992 continued to present them in 2018. Having hypercholesterolemia in 1992 multiplied the risk of having it in 2018 4 times (OR= 4 CI95% [1.173-13.639], p = 0.027). Those participants who were overweight in childhood presented significantly higher levels of BMI, SBP, DBP and waist circumference in the adult age. Conclusions. Being overweight and having hypercholesterolemia presents a significant canalization between childhood and adult age. Said circumstance makes it necessary to initiate control of said CVRFs in childhood, to try to avoid their indefinite continuation over time.