Tracking and prediction of arterial blood pressure from childhood to young adulthood in 868 patients with type 1 diabetes: a multicenter longitudinal survey in Germany and Austria.

OBJECTIVE

Arterial blood pressure was followed in 868 patients with type 1 diabetes aged 6.0-19.9 years in 95 centers in Germany and Austria.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

European blood pressure reference data for 28,043 children and adolescents were used with respect to age and sex. Data were stratified into three groups: prepubertal, pubertal, and postpubertal.

RESULTS

Up to 4% of the participants in the younger age-groups and 13.9% of the postpubertal patients exhibited blood pressure values >97th centile. Blood pressure levels correlated with A1C level and BMI Z score. Tracking of blood pressure revealed that children with elevated blood pressure had higher blood pressure in adolescence and young adulthood.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with higher blood pressure in childhood showed elevated blood pressure later in life. We need to focus on the diagnosis of hypertension in children with type 1 diabetes and to study the efficacy of early intervention.