Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Aims: Early identification of abnormalities in vascular and cardiac structure offers an opportunity for intervention to reduce future cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study examined factors contributing to increased CVD risk from adolescence to young adulthood. Methods and results: Raine Study participants (n = 716) classified as low- or high-CVD risk using cluster analysis at 17 years were re-studied at 27 years. Outcomes at 27 years were vascular stiffness assessed by pulse wave velocity (PWV) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI), left ventricular (LV), right ventricular (RV), and left atrial (LA) myocardial strain and respective ejection fractions (EF) assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Outcomes were compared according to low- or high-risk classification at 17 years adjusting for sex and significant covariates at 27 years. At 27 years, individuals classified as high-risk at 17 years had significantly increased PWV (males: 6.6 ± 0.12 vs. 6.2 ± 0.04 m/sec; females: 6.2 ± 0.10 vs. 5.6 ± 0.04 m/sec) and LVMI (males: 75.2 ± 2.1 vs. 69.7 ± 0.5 g/m2; females: 55.4 ± 1.0 vs. 52.1 ± 0.4 g/m2) compared with low-risk individuals. Compared with low-risk individuals, LV global longitudinal strain in high-risk females (−16.7 ± 0.4 vs. −17.6 ± 0.17%, P = 0.041) and LV global circumferential strain in males (−19.1 ± 0.5 vs. −20.5 ± 0.2%, P = 0.013) and females (−21.3 ± 0.4 vs. −22.4 ± 0.2%, P = 0.022) were attenuated. These differences were significant in regression analysis after adjusting for sex and contemporary risk factors. Conclusion: An unhealthy CVD risk profile in adolescence leads to structural vascular and cardiac changes in young adults, predisposing them to future CVD. The results emphasize the importance of early public health measures to reduce the burden of cardiovascular and related lifestyle disorders.
Keywords
adolescents, cardiac function, cardiometabolic risk, hormonal contraceptive use, myocardial strain, Raine study, young adults
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
7-1-2026
ISSN
20474873
Volume
33
Issue
9
PubMed ID
41285679
Publication Title
European Journal of Preventive Cardiology
Publisher
Oxford Academic
School
Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute / School of Medical and Health Sciences
Funding Information
This work was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council Australia (NHMRC) and the Raine Medical Research Foundation who have provided funding for the Raine Study over the past 30 years. RCH and TAM are supported by an NHMRC Early Career Fellowship and an NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship [1053384/ 1142858 and 1136046, respectively].
Funding received from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
1053384, 1142858, 1136046
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
First Page
1587
Last Page
1597
Recommended Citation
Barden, A. E., Beilin, L. J., Lan, N. S. R., Sehly, A., Dwivedi, G., Huang, R., Adler, B., & Mori, T. A. (2025). The contribution of adolescent cardiovascular disease risk factors to vascular stiffness and cardiac remodelling in young adults. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 33(9), 1587–1597. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf739