Ambulatory blood pressure recordings in children and adolescents

To provide reference data for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and to determine the influence of age, sex, and race on these values.

ABPM was performed on 300 healthy, normotensive boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 18 years, including 160 boys and 140 girls, of whom 149 were white and 151 were black. Mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) while awake and during sleep were calculated for black and white boys and girls aged 10 to 12 years, 13 to 15 years, and 16 to 18 years.

Boys compared with girls 10 to 12 years of age had higher mean (+/- SD) SBP (115 +/- 9 vs 112 +/- 9 mm Hg; P < .01) and DBP (67 +/- 7 vs 65 +/- 5 mm Hg; P < .01) while awake. Boys compared to girls 13 to 15 years of age had higher SBP while awake (116 +/- 11 vs 112 +/- 8 mm Hg; P < .01). Boys compared with girls 16 to 18 years of age had higher SBP while awake (125 +/- 12 vs 111 +/- 9 mm Hg); P < .01) and during sleep (116 +/- 11 vs 106 +/- 9 mm Hg). Comparisons within sex showed similar changes with age for boys and girls. Blacks compared with whites 13 to 15 years of age had higher SBP during sleep (109 +/- 11 vs 105 +/- 10 mm Hg; P < .01), and blacks compared with whites 16 to 18 years of age had higher DBP during sleep (66 +/- 7 vs 58 +/- 6 mm Hg; P < .01). Comparisons across age groups within race showed that blacks 16 to 18 years of age had higher SBP during sleep than blacks 10 to 12 years of age (109 +/- 11 vs 104 +/- 10 mm Hg), and higher DBP during sleep (66 +/- 7 mm Hg; P < .01) than blacks 10 to 12 years of age (61 +/- 7 mm Hg; P < .01) and 13 to 15 years of age (61 +/- 8; P < .01 mm Hg). The changes with age were not significant for white subjects.

These results provide age-specific reference data for ABPM in youths. These values differ by sex (boys more than girls) and race (Blacks more than Whites).