Blood pressure tracking from child to adulthood: a review.

This paper reviews blood pressure tracking from childhood through adolescence, to adulthood. Blood pressure tracking correlations in childhood and adolescence vary from 0.2-0.6. Systolic blood pressure tracks better than diastolic pressure. There does not appear to be a gender difference, except that girls mature earlier than boys and so reach their adult blood pressure sooner. Tracking could be improved by increasing the number of observations per time period, thus reducing intrasubject variability. Various models, which do not assume linearity, have been developed to improve prediction. However, more studies with longer follow up periods need to be carried out to assess the importance of tracking as a screening tool. There is need also, for further studies in Africa, as the epidemiology of hypertension appears to be different in this setting. From the available data though, large scale screening programmes for children and adolescents are of little merit at this time.