Objectives: To determine cardiovascular risk profiles of patients with Kawa
saki disease and to relate them to a noninvasive measure of endothelial fun
ction.
Study design: Case-control study. Cardiovascular risk assessment including
brachial artery reactivity was performed in 24 patients 11.3 +/- 1.8 (mean
+/- SD) years after Kawasaki disease and in 11 subjects in a normal control
group,
Results: The case versus control groups were similar regarding age, sex, ra
ce, body mass index, and percentage of ideal body weight, although cases ha
d a higher mean; score of body mass index than normal (+1.00 +/- 1.18; P <.
001). Cases had normal fasting total cholesterol levels but a higher mean z
score of triglyceride levels (+1.35 +/- 2.04: P <.004), The case group had
significantly higher mean systolic and diastolic resting blood pressure sc
ores (+076 +/- 1.06; P<.01 and +0.96 +/- 1.19; P<01, respectively) than the
control group and population norms, Endothelial function as indicated by b
rachial artery reactivity was not significantly different between the case
versus control groups. In the case group higher blood pressure, increasing
adiposity, and higher fasting triglyceride levels were significantly interr
elated but did not relate to brachial artery reactivity or coronary artery
abnormalities.
Conclusions: Patients after Kawasaki disease tend to have a more adverse ca
rdiovascular risk profile potentially indicative of an increased predisposi
tion to premature atherosclerotic changes.