Monitoring Children's Blood Pressure

A study has concluded that children's blood pressure should be measured every year to help prevent future cardiovascular disease. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School (St. Paul, USA), was published in the May 2001 issue of the American Journal of Hypertension.

The Investigators studied 14,686 students, age 10-15. Using 1996 criteria, systolic hypertension was found in 402 children (2.7%) and diastolic hypertension in 290 children (2%) after the initial screening. No significant difference was found between girls and boys with regard to systolic hypertension. However, more girls (189) than boys (101) were found to have diastolic hypertension. When children in the upper 30 percentiles of blood pressure were rescreened, the prevalence of systolic hypertension decreased by 70% (2.7% to 0.8%) and the prevalence of diastolic hypertension decreased by 80% (2% to 0.4%). However, data using the newer 1987 criteria showed a 1% prevalence for systolic and 3.5% for diastolic after initial screening and 0.3% for systolic and 0.8% for diastolic hypertension after rescreening.

Although the overall prevalence of hypertension continued to be low, the study authors concluded that yearly measurements of blood pressure in children are important. "Upward trends of blood pressure during youth, particularly when associated with other risk factors, such as obesity, may be important indicators of future adult risk and an aid to cardiovascular disease prevention,” said Drs. Horacio E. Adrogue and Alan R. Sinaiko.



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