Blood pressure control in children of Cordoba, Argentina.

The aims of the present study were 1) to evaluate blood pressure (BP) and its distribution curve in a highly representative population of children and adolescents from Cordoba, Argentina, to determine the normal BP pattern, and 2) to establish the relation between other factors and BP levels. BP data recorded during the years 1984-1987 were evaluated in 280,584 children and adolescents aged 5-15 years (52.1% boys and 47.9% girls) corresponding to the nine sanitary districts of the province (urban, rural, mountain, and plains areas), which represent 75% of the children of the whole province. Recordings were carried out by trained physicians who used pediatric BP cuffs and calibrated sphygmomanometers. Korotkoff periods 1 and 5 were considered as the systolic and diastolic BP, respectively. BP was recorded in groups of three to five students with students in a sitting position as part of the routine physical examination and after a thorough explanation of the methodology. For statistical analysis, the Student's t test and stepwise regression analysis were used. Percentile tables and curves were prepared for each age and sex group. Weight and height values were added to the information obtained. Diastolic BP was greater in girls than in boys between the ages of 11 and 14. Systolic BP was lower and diastolic BP was higher in the US Task Force study compared with these findings. Of all the independent variables evaluated, weight influenced BP the most. Age had less influence on BP when height and weight were normalized by regression analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)