Race and Obesity in Adolescent Hypertension.

Background And Objectives: The overall prevalence of essential hypertension in adolescents may be growing. Differences in blood pressure (BP) are well established in adults, but are less clear in adolescents. We hypothesize that the prevalence of hypertension differs by race/ethnicity among adolescents at school-based screenings.

Accuracy of the Spacelabs 90217 ambulatory blood pressure monitor in a pediatric population.

Background: Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring techniques provide unique advantages for diagnosing hypertension, although few devices have been independently validated in the pediatric population.

Methods: We sought to validate the accuracy of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring with the Spacelabs 90217 monitor in children using a modified British Hypertension Society protocol.

Results: A total of 112 children, aged between 6 and 17 years, completed the study at one of the three participating centers.

Screening blood pressure measurement in children: are we saving lives?

Blood Pressure screening in children and adolescents is currently recommended by several prominent medical organizations, including the American Heart Association, the National High Blood Pressure Education Program, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the European Society of Hypertension, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. This practice was recently subject to intense scientific review by the U.S.

Progression of prehypertension to hypertension in adolescents.

In the 2004 report from the National High Blood Pressure (BP) Education Program Working Group on BP in Children and Adolescents, the term "high normal BP" was replaced with the designation "prehypertension". It was proposed that BP levels that were higher than normal but did not reach the level of hypertension posed an increased risk for progression to hypertension. The overall intent of this description was to help identify children who were at the greatest risk for the development of hypertension.

Prehypertension in adolescents: risk and progression.

In 2004, the National High Blood Pressure Education Program Working Group on High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents recommended a new designation of prehypertension for children with mildly elevated blood pressure (BP). This description was intended to help identify children most at risk for the development of persistent hypertension for whom targeted prevention programs would be most beneficial and was based largely on expert opinions and epidemiologic normal values. This review summarizes the knowledge that has been gained regarding the epidemiology and risk associated with prehypertension in adolescents since its inception and highlights future challenges in understanding and preventing the development of hypertensive disease in this population.

Prevalence of persistent prehypertension in adolescents.

Objective: To measure the prevalence of persistent prehypertension in adolescents.

Study Design: We collected demographic and anthropometric data and 4 oscillometric blood pressure (BP) measurements on 1020 students. The mean of the second, third, and fourth BP measurements determined each student's BP status per visit, with up to 3 total visits.

Development of hypertension in adolescents with pre-hypertension.

Objective: To evaluate the risk for developing incident hypertension (HTN) in adolescents with pre-hypertension.

Study Design: A secondary analysis of students participating in multiple school-based blood pressure (BP) screens from 2000 to 2007 was completed. At each screen, height, weight, and 2 to 4 BPs were measured on as many as 3 occasions when BP remained ≥ 95th percentile.