Prevalence of hypertension in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis and associations with disease course: A case-control

Darina Dinov1, Alexia Richie2, Brenna Kent3

  • 1Division of Child Neurology, Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Richmond, VCU Health System, Richmond, VA, USA.

Insights

Pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) is linked to a higher prevalence of hypertension (HTN). This comorbidity in youth with MS may increase the risk of inflammatory lesion development.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatrics
  • Cardiology

Background:

  • Adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) exhibit increased hypertension (HTN) rates, correlating with greater disability.
  • The prevalence and impact of HTN in pediatric-onset MS (POMS) remain largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of HTN in individuals with POMS.
  • To investigate the association between HTN and disease activity in POMS.

Main Methods:

  • A multicenter retrospective study compared blood pressure (BP) in individuals with POMS (iwPOMS) against matched controls.
  • Hypertension was defined using American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines based on at least three elevated BP recordings.
  • Disease activity was assessed via neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and new T2-hyperintense lesions on MRI.

Main Results:

  • The study included 96 iwPOMS and 96 controls, revealing a significantly higher HTN prevalence in iwPOMS (22%) compared to controls (6%).
  • iwPOMS demonstrated elevated systolic BP at baseline and longitudinally at 12 and 24 months.
  • A higher incidence of new T2-hyperintense lesions was observed at 24 months in iwPOMS with HTN.

Conclusions:

  • Individuals with POMS have a greater prevalence of hypertension compared to matched controls.
  • The co-occurrence of HTN in youth with MS may elevate the risk for developing inflammatory lesions.
Abstract

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