[Factors of physical development of healthy children in relation to 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure patterns].

UNLABELLED

The aim of this study was to assess which of the relationships between ambulatory blood pressure patterns and physical development factors in healthy children was the strongest and most significant. 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was performed on 100 healthy children aged 10-18 years. Mean values of diurnal, nocturnal and 24-hour systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were calculated on its basis. Correlation coefficients were calculated for the associations between these mean values and physical development factors: age, body mass, body height, body mass index (BMI) and BMI centile. SBP levels were the strongest and most significant, positively associated with values of BMI, body mass and BMI centile. The correlation with age was weaker and with body height the most weak. DBP levels correlated significantly only with BMI centile and showed relationship of bordering significance with BMI value. There were no significant correlations between DBP levels and age, body mass or body height.

CONCLUSIONS

In children BMI and its centile correlate with ambulatory blood pressure levels stronger and more significant than other physical development factors. Three-dimensional centile charts including age, BMI and blood pressure level could be the most accurate in diagnosing hypertension.