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Blood pressure reactivity in young children: comparing three stressors
1Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0927.
Insights
Blood pressure reactivity in children, a rise in blood pressure (BP) after stress, shows generalizability across different stressors. Physical exertion demonstrated the highest BP reactivity and reliability, making it promising for future research.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Cardiovascular Health
- Psychophysiology
Background:
- Blood pressure (BP) reactivity, a transient BP elevation post-stressor, is a stable trait in children.
- This reactivity may predict future cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertension.
- Understanding BP reactivity across diverse stressors is crucial for early CVD risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the generalizability of blood pressure reactivity in young children across varied acute stressors.
- To compare BP reactivity levels and reliability following physical, competitive, and cognitive tasks.
- To identify the most reliable stressor for studying BP reactivity in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- Measured systolic and diastolic blood pressure reactivity in 85 children (ages 3-6 years) after three distinct stressors.
- Assessed test-retest reliability over two weeks for BP reactivity and baseline BP.
- Analyzed correlations between BP reactivity across stressors and with skin-fold thickness.
Main Results:
- Systolic BP reactivity was highest after physical exertion (104 mm Hg) compared to competitive (95 mm Hg) and cognitive (93 mm Hg) tasks.
- Physical stressor showed higher test-retest reliability for BP reactivity (r=.66) than baseline BP (r=.58) and other stressors.
- BP reactivity demonstrated generalizability across stressors, with significant correlations observed between them.
Conclusions:
- Blood pressure reactivity is a generalizable phenomenon in young children across different types of stressors.
- Physical exertion emerges as the most reliable and promising stressor for future research on pediatric BP reactivity.
- Findings support the use of BP reactivity assessment in children for early identification of cardiovascular risk factors.
Abstract:
Blood pressure (BP) reactivity in children, the transient elevation of BP after an acute stressor, is a stable characteristic that may predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertension. The purpose of the present study was to assess the generalizability of BP reactivity across various stressors in young children. BP reactivity was measured in 85 children (ages 3 to 6 years) after each of three different stressors. Systolic BP reactivity level was highest after physical exertion (104 mm Hg), followed by competitive task (95 mm Hg) and cognitive task (93 mm Hg). Resting systolic BP was 90. The 2-week test-retest reliability was higher for physical stress systolic BP reactivity level (r = .66) than for baseline systolic BP (r = .58) and the other two stressors. The reliability of the systolic BP change score was significant only for physical stressor (r = .33). Correlations among the three stressors ranged from .75 to .79 for systolic BP reactivity level and from .37 to .50 for change in systolic BP. Change in systolic BP after physical stress correlated with skin-fold thickness (r = .32). There was evidence of generalizability across stressors. The physical task is the most promising for future study of BP reactivity in young children.