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Correlates of elevated blood pressure in healthy children: a systematic review
A O Fowokan1, B M Sakakibara2, N Onsel3
1Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
Insights
Childhood hypertension is rising globally. This review found that obesity and other physiological, social, and behavioral factors contribute to high blood pressure (BP) in children, necessitating multifaceted prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Cardiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Global prevalence of hypertension in children is increasing.
- Understanding risk factors for elevated blood pressure (BP) in pediatric populations is crucial.
- Childhood hypertension poses a significant public health challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and identify correlates of elevated blood pressure (BP) in children.
- To synthesize current evidence on factors associated with childhood hypertension.
- To inform the development of effective prevention strategies.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search across three academic databases.
- Screening of abstracts and full texts by two independent reviewers.
- Narrative synthesis of data from 100 included studies following quality assessment.
Main Results:
- A wide array of physiological, social, and behavioral factors are associated with elevated BP in children.
- Adiposity (obesity) was the most frequently identified correlate.
- Findings underscore the multi-factorial nature of childhood hypertension.
Conclusions:
- Childhood obesity is a significant factor in the rising prevalence of hypertension.
- The multi-factorial etiology of hypertension requires comprehensive, multi-pronged prevention approaches.
- Addressing childhood hypertension necessitates tackling a broad spectrum of risk factors.
Abstract:
The prevalence of hypertension in children is increasing globally. Addressing this will require a robust understanding of associated risk factors. To this end, we conducted a systematic review to identify correlates of elevated blood pressure (BP) in children. Literature searches were conducted using pre-defined search terms from three academic databases. The abstract and full text of identified studies were screened for eligibility by two independent reviewers. A total of 100 studies were included in this systematic review. An assessment tool was first used to assess study quality; a narrative synthesis was then performed. We found a broad range of physiological, social and behavioural factors associated with elevated BP in children. The most common correlate observed was adiposity, suggesting that childhood obesity may be implicated in the increased prevalence of hypertension observed in children. However, the broad range of other factors identified underscores the multi-factorial aetiology of hypertension. Data from a broad range of studies showed that the correlates of hypertension in children are multi-factorial. Therefore, approaches aimed at preventing hypertension must in turn be multi-factorial to ensure that the burden of hypertension in childhood is addressed.
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