Race and gender significantly influenced diurnal blood pressure patterns, with black boys having higher asleep systolic blood pressure (112 mm Hg) than other groups (105-106 mm Hg).
Cross-Sectional (n=199)
Race and gender significantly influence diurnal ambulatory blood pressure patterns in healthy adolescents, with black boys exhibiting higher asleep systolic blood pressures.
The purpose of this study was to examine ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate patterns in healthy, normotensive adolescents and to determine the influence of race and gender on these patterns. Ambulatory blood pressure recordings were performed on 199 adolescents; 42 were black males, 55 were white males, 65 were black females, and 37 were white females. The mean age (+/- SD) was 13 +/- 2 years. Blood pressure readings were obtained with an automatic, noninvasive recorder. Black adolescents and white adolescents had similar blood pressures while awake (116/69 vs. 116/69 mm Hg), with boys having higher levels of systolic blood pressure (118 vs. 114 mm Hg) and comparable levels of diastolic blood pressure (69 vs. 69 mm Hg) relative to girls. The patterns while the adolescents were asleep, however, were different. White boys (106 mm Hg), white girls (105 mm Hg), and black girls (105 mm Hg) had similar systolic blood pressures during sleep. Black boys (112 mm Hg), however, had significantly higher systolic blood pressures while asleep. Black adolescents, as a group, had significantly higher diastolic blood pressures than white adolescents while asleep (64 vs. 61 mm Hg). Changes in blood pressure from awake to asleep were not related to changes in heart rate. Results of this study indicate that both race and gender are important determinants of the diurnal pattern of blood pressure and heart rate in adolescents.
Harshfield et al. (Fri,) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy, normotensive (n=199). Race and gender (Black vs. White, Male vs. Female) vs. White adolescents / Female adolescents was evaluated on Ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate patterns (awake and asleep). Race and gender significantly influenced diurnal blood pressure patterns, with black boys having higher asleep systolic blood pressure (112 mm Hg) than other groups (105-106 mm Hg).