Origin of Atherosclerosis in Childhood and Adolescence

Atherosclerosis begins in childhood as deposits of cholesterol and its esters, referred to as fatty streaks, in the intima of large muscular arteries. In some persons and at certain arterial sites, more lipid accumulates and is covered by a fibromuscular cap to form a fibrous plaque. Further changes in fibrous plaques render them vulnerable to rupture, an event that precipitates occlusive thrombosis and clinically manifest disease (sudden cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease). In adults, elevated non-HDL-cholesterol concentrations, low HDL-cholesterol concentrations, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, and obesity are associated with advanced atherosclerotic lesions and increased risk of clinically manifest atherosclerotic disease. Control of these risk factors is the major strategy for preventing atherosclerotic disease. To determine whether these risk factors also are associated with early atherosclerosis in young persons, we examined arteries and tissue from approximately 3000 autopsied persons aged 15-34 y who died of accidental injury, homicide, or suicide. The extent of both fatty streaks and raised lesions (fibrous plaques and other advanced lesions) in the right coronary artery and in the abdominal aorta was associated positively with non-HDL-cholesterol concentration, hypertension, impaired glucose tolerance, and obesity and associated negatively with HDL-cholesterol concentration. Atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta also was associated positively with smoking. These observations indicate that long-range prevention of atherosclerosis and its sequelae by control of the risk factors for adult coronary artery disease should begin in adolescence and young adulthood.