Burden of Hypertension and Abnormal Glomerular Permeability in Hypertensive School Children

Childhood hypertension has been associated with target-organ damage in young adults. It is often asymptomatic in both children and adolescents; when persistent, and long-standing, it could be a significant risk factor for kidney damage and increased glomerular permeability.

Burden of hypertension and its impact on glomerular permeability were prospectively determined in randomly recruited primary school children.

Blood pressure (BP) measurement was performed by the auscultation method, and abnormal glomerular permeability was assessed by dipstick testing of urine for persistent proteinuria and/or hematuria for ≥ three months in hypertensive children.

Of 1,335 pupils aged 10.0 ± 2.4 (6.0 - 14.0) years, 33 (2.5%) were hypertensive. Overall mean systolic/diastolic BP was 125.6 ± 6.5/81.7 ± 3.3 (range: 114.0 - 140.0/80.0 - 90.0) mmHg. Nine (27.3%) had combined systolic and diastolic hypertension, 126.7 ± 5.7/80.0 - 80.0 ± 0.0 (120.0 - 130.0/80.0 - 80.0) mmHg. Isolated systolic hypertension, 125.4 ± 6.7 (114.0 - 140.0) mmHg, was present in 14 (42.4%), whereas 10 (30.3%) had isolated diastolic hypertension, 82.0 ± 3.5 (80.0 - 90.0) mmHg. Mean systolic and diastolic BP were 131.0 ± 3.3 (130.0 - 140.0) mmHg and 86.5 ± 4.43 (80.0 - 90.0) mmHg, respectively. According to the dipstick test, none of the hypertensive pupils showed urinalysis evidence of proteinuria and/or hematuria after three months of testing.

Although the burden of hypertension was 2.5%, the dipstick method did not detect any hypertension-related abnormal glomerular permeability in the school children.