Longitudinal relationship of parental hypertension with body mass index, blood pressure, and cardiovascular reactivity in children.

Objective: To investigate whether parental hypertension (HTN) affects children's body mass index (BMI) and cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) over time.

Study Design: A longitudinal study of 315 students (black: 23 females, 19 males; white: 142 females, 131 males) was conducted in the public schools of Obion County, Tennessee, between 1987 and 1992. BMI and BMI z scores were calculated.