[Impacts of hypertension on early changes of cardiovascular structure and function among children: a case-control study].

OBJECTIVE

To assess the cardiovascular structure and function in children with confirmed primary hypertension, and to explore the impact of hypertension and related risk factors on cardiovascular structure and function of children.

METHODS

Parameters related to cardiac structure, vascular structure and function were measured in 213 hypertensive children, who were confirmed upon repeated measurements on separate occasions. A total of 197 healthy children were recruited as controls.

RESULTS

1. In hypertensive children, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDd), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESd), left ventricular mass (LVM), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPT) and interventricular septal thickness (IVST) were all significantly higher than their counterparts (P < 0.05). No statistical differences were found in carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), relative wall thickness (RWT) and brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV). 2) Compared with controls, LVEDd, LVESd, LVM, LVMI were all significantly higher in hypertensive children (P < 0.05), regardless of age group or weight-status. No statistical differences were found in ccIMT and RWT, while ba-PWV was statistically higher in controls among children aged 6-12 years. 3) Data from multiple linear regression analysis noticed that LVMI was associated with age, sex, BMI and hypertension while RWT was associated with age and BMI.

CONCLUSION

In children with primary hypertension, changes of vascular structure and function were not shown but left ventricular remodeling and early changes of function had been developed in children under 12 years old.