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Ambulatory blood pressure and increased left ventricular mass in children at risk for hypertension

Phyllis A Richey1, Thomas G Disessa, Margaret C Hastings

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, General Clinical Research Center, Children's Foundation Research Center at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|February 19, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Elevated systolic blood pressure in children is linked to increased left ventricular mass index, a marker of cardiac risk. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring helps assess cardiovascular risk in pediatric hypertension.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Hypertension Research
  • Cardiovascular Risk Assessment

Background:

  • Primary hypertension in children is a growing concern.
  • Early identification of cardiac target organ damage is crucial for managing pediatric hypertension.
  • Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) provides valuable insights into blood pressure patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) and cardiac target organ measurements in children at risk for primary hypertension.
  • To determine if ABP parameters correlate with left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study design was employed.
  • Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and ABP were measured concurrently in children aged 6 to 18 years.
  • Participants were children identified as being at risk for hypertension.

Main Results:

  • LVMI showed a significant positive correlation with 24-hour systolic blood pressure (SBP) load, SBP index (SBPI), and standard deviation score (SDS).
  • Higher LVMI percentiles were associated with significant differences in SBP load, 24-hour SBPI, and 24-hour SSDS.
  • Increased 24-hour SSDS and BPI were independent predictors of elevated LVMI, with odds ratios of 1.54 and 1.88, respectively.

Conclusions:

  • Increasing systolic ABP variables are associated with a greater likelihood of increased LVMI in children.
  • Staging hypertension based on ABPM enables effective assessment of cardiovascular risk in pediatric primary hypertension.
  • These findings highlight the importance of ABPM in managing pediatric hypertension and preventing cardiac complications.
Abstract

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