Blood pressure in children of hypertensive and normotensive parents

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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Non-invasive Assessment of Microvascular and Endothelial Function
05:41

Non-invasive Assessment of Microvascular and Endothelial Function

Published on: January 29, 2013

Roya Kelishadi1, Mahin Hashemipour, Nasrollah Bashardoost

  • 1Department of Pediatric Preventive Cardiology, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. kelishadi@med.mui.ac.ir

Indian Pediatrics
|February 10, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Children with hypertensive parents have higher blood pressure (BP). This risk increases when both parents have high blood pressure, indicating a genetic link to hypertension in youth.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Cardiology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Hypertension is a growing concern in pediatric populations.
  • Parental hypertension is a known risk factor for developing hypertension in offspring.
  • Understanding genetic and environmental factors influencing childhood blood pressure is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare blood pressure (BP) in children aged 6-18 years with hypertensive versus normotensive parents in Iran.
  • To investigate the association between parental hypertension and elevated BP parameters in children.
  • To explore the influence of parental BMI on children's blood pressure percentiles.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study comparing children of hypertensive (n=746) and normotensive parents (n=2238).
  • Measurements included blood pressure (systolic, diastolic, mean arterial), weight, and height.
  • Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association with parental BMI and high BP percentiles in children.

Main Results:

  • Children of hypertensive parents exhibited significantly higher mean systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) in both preadolescents and adolescents compared to controls (p <0.05).
  • Elevated SBP and DBP were observed in children with hypertensive mothers and SBP in children with hypertensive fathers.
  • Children with two hypertensive parents showed significantly higher SBP and DBP than those with one hypertensive parent (p <0.05).
  • Higher parental Body Mass Index (BMI) was significantly associated with SBP and DBP above the 95th percentile in children (p <0.05).

Conclusions:

  • Parental hypertension is a significant predictor of elevated blood pressure in children.
  • The risk of hypertension in children increases with the number of hypertensive parents.
  • Parental BMI is a contributing factor to high blood pressure in pediatric populations, highlighting the importance of family-based interventions.

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