Blood Pressure Variability and Left Ventricular Mass Index Ion Children With True Ambulatory Hypertension

This study sought to evaluate the relationship between blood pressure variability and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in children with true ambulatory hypertension. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 115 children who were consecutively referred for evaluation of hypertension to our University Children’s Hospital. The calculated blood pressure variability (BPV) measures were 24-h average real variability (ARV) and 24-hour weighted SD (wSD). LVMI was estimated by M-mode echocardiography using Devereux’s formula and indexed for height. A total of 35 children had true ambulatory hypertension. We found no correlation between 24-hour ARV and wSD with LVMI. On the other hand, partial correlation analysis revealed statistically significant and inverse correlation between 24-hour ARV and LVMI, controlling for body mass index (r = -0,516; P = 0.002). Contrary to previous studies, our results indicate inverse association of LVMI and BPV as expressed by ARV in a population of true hypertensive children.