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Blood pressure is associated with body mass index in both normal and obese children
1Department of Paediatrics, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, China.
Insights
Childhood obesity is linked to higher blood pressure (BP) in young children. Even small increases in body mass index (BMI) correlate with elevated systolic and diastolic BP in both obese and non-obese preschoolers.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Cardiology
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing global health concern.
- Elevated blood pressure (BP) in children is a risk factor for adult cardiovascular disease.
- Limited large-scale studies exist on the obesity-BP association in early childhood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between obesity and BP in preschool-aged children in China.
- To determine if obesity is associated with higher BP levels in this demographic.
- To analyze the correlation between Body Mass Index (BMI) and BP in young children.
Main Methods:
- A nationwide case-control study was conducted in 1996.
- Data included weight, height, and BP measurements from 748 boys and 574 girls (0.1–6.9 years).
- Obese and non-obese children were matched by gender and age.
Main Results:
- Obese children exhibited significantly higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) compared to non-obese peers.
- A higher percentage of obese children (19.4%) had high BP (above the 95th percentile) versus non-obese children (7.0%).
- Both SBP and DBP showed a significant positive correlation with BMI in both obese and non-obese children, with varying degrees of increase per BMI unit.
Conclusions:
- Obesity is conclusively associated with elevated SBP and DBP in preschool Chinese children.
- Increased BMI is a significant predictor of higher blood pressure in this age group.
- Findings highlight the importance of monitoring BP in children, particularly those who are overweight or obese.
Abstract:
Obesity is associated with elevated blood pressure (BP) both in adults and children. Childhood obesity has become a severe health problem, especially during the last few decades. So far there has not been any large-scale study specifically focusing on the association between obesity and BP in early life. The aim of this study is to examine systematically the association between obesity and BP in preschool Chinese children in mainland China. In 1996, measurements of weight, height, and BP values were collected in a nationwide, case-control study of 748 boys and 574 girls who ranged in age from 0.1 to 6.9 years in 8 cities in mainland China. One obese child and 1 nonobese child were matched for gender and age. The BP differences of the mean-matched pair were approximately 5 mm Hg for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and approximately 4 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (P<0.05); a higher value was noted in obese children. The BP value of 19.4% children in the obese group and 7.0% children in the nonobese group was higher than the 95th percentile value (P<0.0001), which is defined as high BP by the Task Force on Blood Pressure Control in Children. Both SBP and DBP were significantly (P<0.05) positively related to body mass index (BMI) values (P<0.05) for children in obese and nonobese groups after adjustment for age, gender, and height. To be specific, an increase of 1 BMI unit was associated with, on average, an increase of 0.56 mm Hg and 0.54 mm Hg in SBP and DBP, respectively, for obese children. In nonobese children, the increase in SBP and DBP was 1.22 mm Hg and 1.20 mm Hg, respectively. An increase in the BMI is conclusively associated with elevated SBP and DBP in nonobese children. Furthermore, an increase in the adjusted BMI was associated with an increase in SBP and DBP in obese and nonobese children.