[Values of arterial pressure in childhood and adolescence in Mexico]

Complications and mortality of blood hypertension depend on the time blood pressure levels remain above normal as well as on the values they reach along the evolution. In order to detect blood hypertension before it is well established as a disease it is necessary to identify those individuals prone to it or those with predictive data that they will develop hypertension. Distribution of blood pressure levels during the pediatric age is one of the first studies that should be done to identify those children with high blood pressure or those who will develop the disease. After reviewing the literature we found that there is disagreement on the criteria of normal and upper normal limits of blood pressure during childhood and adolescence. This explains the variability of the reports on incidence or prevalence of hypertension during this age. There are other factors of variability as methodology on blood pressure registration, geographic and time changes. Most authors agree that blood pressure levels are higher as age increases and boys have higher blood pressure level than girls. Our findings are within the those reported by others.