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Twenty-four hour blood pressure monitoring in healthy children
1Department of Paediatric Nephrology and Metabolic Disorders, Children's Hospital, Medical School Hannover, Germany.
Insights
This study monitored blood pressure and heart rate in children aged 6-10 years. Results show lower nighttime blood pressure and heart rate, with measurements correlating to height, not age.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is crucial for assessing cardiovascular health in children.
- Understanding diurnal variations in blood pressure and heart rate is essential for pediatric health.
- Automated oscillometric devices offer a practical method for ABPM in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and acceptance of ABPM in children aged 6-10 years.
- To establish normative diurnal blood pressure and heart rate values for this age group.
- To investigate the relationship between blood pressure, heart rate, and anthropometric factors (age, height).
Main Methods:
- 105 children (6-10 years) underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring using a portable automated oscillometric device.
- Measurements were taken every 20 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes at night.
- Device acceptance and invalid measurement rates were recorded.
Main Results:
- The automated monitor was well-accepted, with a low invalid measurement rate (13%).
- Mean daytime blood pressure was 114/72 mmHg and nighttime was 99/56 mmHg.
- Nighttime showed significant reductions: systolic BP by 13%, diastolic BP by 22%, and heart rate by 22%.
- Systolic and diastolic blood pressure positively correlated with height but not age.
- No significant gender differences were observed.
Conclusions:
- Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is feasible and well-tolerated in children aged 6-10 years.
- Children exhibit significant diurnal variations in blood pressure and heart rate, with lower nighttime values.
- Height is a significant determinant of blood pressure in this pediatric cohort, underscoring its importance in normative data interpretation.
Abstract:
Blood pressure and heart rate were measured every 20 min during the day and every 30 min during the night in 105 children (51 girls and 54 boys, aged 6-10 years) with a portable automated blood pressure monitor using an oscillometric principle of measurement. The monitor was well accepted by most of the children and the rate of invalid measurements was only 13%. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure was 114 +/- 7/72 +/- 5 by day and 99 +/- 7/56 +/- 6 by night. The corresponding heart rates were 93 +/- 8 and 72 +/- 9 beats/min. No significant differences were found between boys and girls. At night, systolic blood pressure dropped by 13% +/- 4%, the diastolic value by 22% +/- 7% and heart rate fell by 22% +/- 6%. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements correlated positively with the subject's height, whereas no correlation was found with age.