An analysis of two studies suggests that children with occasional high blood pressure readings are at risk of developing hypertension when they grow up and reach adulthood.
The first study presents that even a single incidence of more than 95th percentile prior college are three times more at risk to have hypertension when they grow older. This resulted after considerations of their age, gender and BMI (body mass index), Dr. said Wanzhu Tu from University School of Medicine Indianapolis.
The second study also shows an increased probability of having hypertension in adulthood was linked to obesity and even overweight childhood cases. This was based on research of Dr. Sara Watson from the Riley Hospital for youngsters in Indiana University.
The two studies highlight that there are communities that are highly at risk in the future thus obliging that intervention be made as early when they are still young. These children may undergo treatment, medication or lifestyle changes that can help these children avoid the progression of symptoms to hypertension in the future, according to Dr. Daniel Feig from the University of Alabama.
The researchers followed 1,117 children with an average of 12.8 years old in Indianapolis schools. These children were monitored with their blood pressure taken twice a year until they finished high school.
When they reached around the age of 33.4, they were asked to return for another BP evaluation. Diagnosis was based on BP measurement done directly and for others unable to participate, based on medical records.
Using the BP data when they were children, of the 119 hypertension diagnosed cases, 8.6 percent were those who had no BP at or more than 95 percentile, 18 percent with at least one record, and 35 percent with at least two records.
It was also found that prior college age, normal-weighed children account for 68 percent, overweight (those with 85-94th percentile of BMI, age and gender considered) were 16 percent, and obese (95th percentile or more) at 16 percent.
Further, the statistics of hypertension as adults was six percent across those having normal weight as youngsters, 14 percent for overweight, and 26 percent for obese children.
Based from other doctors and health experts, these findings highlight the importance of monitoring blood pressure readings - even those occasional BP shoot ups - and obesity symptoms in young children and flag them are candidates for treatments against the development of worse conditions in the future. This can also curb the continuous rise of hypertension incidences in the U.S.
The study was published in the Sept. 12 issue of MedPage Today.
