Objective: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Early diagnosis of arterial damage is essential to prevent future vascular risk. We aimed to assess the vascular involvement IBD by monitoring inflammation parameters, echocardiography, augmentation index (AIx); carotid pulse wave velocity (PWV), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), and blood pressure.

Method: The patient population included 25 subjects with a previously biopsy-proven diagnosis of IBD who had been on treatment for at least one year. Carotid PWV, AIx, and cIMT of the patients were measured.

Results: Twenty-five patients (15 female and 10 male) with IBD and 25 healthy controls were included in this present study. There was a significant difference between the carotid PWV values (mean 4.84±0.39, 4.49±0.17, respectively, p <0.001), but no differences were observed in the cIMT and AIx values.

Conclusion: The carotid PWV values assessing arterial stiffness may be effective, safe, and easy to detect subclinical atherosclerosis in children with IBD. Larger studies should be carried out to evaluate other indicators of early atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness such as cIMT and AIx.

Keywords: AIx, cIMT, children, inflammatory bowel disease, PWV