Age-Specific Features of the Functional Development of the Circulatory System in Children Living in Northeastern Russia

Abstract

Summary. Introduction: The problem of human interaction with the environment acquires special importance nowadays. Significant migration processes observed in the last decade have become global, thus necessitating studies of the mechanisms of human adaptation to new environmental conditions. Our objective was to study age-related changes in functional indices of the cardiovascular system in adolescents between 11 and 17 years of age, born in Magadan in the first to third generation of Caucasians who had migrated to this city. Material and methods: In all, 1,442 school-age adolescents were examined including 809 boys and 633 girls. The main anthropometric parameters (body weight, kg, and height, cm) were measured and cardiac hemodynamics was determined at rest in the sitting position by volumetric compression oscillometry using a non-invasive hard- and software unit for central hemodynamic study. Results: Significantly higher values of cardiac output and stroke volume prevailed in boys of all age groups. The boys aged 14-17 years also demonstrated higher values of systolic blood pressure and left ventricular power output compared to girls. At the same time, the girls had higher age-specific indices of the heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, and total peripheral resistance. Conclusion: We established that the highest rates of cardiovascular functional development occur during puberty in 11 to 16-year-old boys and 11 to 13-year-old girls. Our findings showed that only 70.2 % to 77.2 % of the boys and 75.1 % to 80.2 % of the girls had blood pressure and heart rate readings within the age norm. Prehypertension was registered in 11.3 % and 10.3 % while hypertension was observed in 11.5 % and 9.5 % of the examined boys and girls, respectively. Tachycardia at rest was noted in 18 % of the boys and 20.2 % of the girls.