Blood pressure and cardiovascular autonomic function in healthy children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the relationship between blood pressure levels and cardiovascular autonomic function in adolescents and preadolescents.

STUDY DESIGN

We measured variability of beat-to-beat arterial pressure and R-R intervals using power spectral analysis in 56 adolescents (aged 13-16 years; mean age, 9.0 +/- 1.4 years) and 71 preadolescents (6-12 years; mean age, 13.5 +/- 1.1 years) in the supine and standing positions.

RESULTS

Adolescents had higher levels of systolic arterial pressure and lower high-frequency power of RR intervals than preadolescents. Correlation between the basal level of arterial pressure and autonomic function was observed in adolescents but not in preadolescents. In adolescents, multivariate analysis indicated that the basal level of arterial pressure was inversely related with the high-frequency power of RR intervals and positively with the ratio of low-frequency and high-frequency power. No significant relation was found in preadolescents. During standing, adolescents had a more marked increase in diastolic arterial pressure, heart rate, low frequency of R-R intervals, and low frequency of arterial pressure compared with those of preadolescents. Changes in diastolic pressure showed a significant negative correlation with changes in high frequency of R-R intervals.

CONCLUSION

Cardiovascular autonomic function plays an important role in increasing blood pressure levels associated with increased modulation of vagal tone of the heart after puberty but does not in the preadolescent.