Key result
Severely obese children aged 3 to 17 years were more than twice as likely to have high blood pressure measurements compared to other children.
Why the study?
Is severe obesity associated with an increased frequency of high blood pressure in children?
Cross-Sectional (n=691)
Yes
Is severe obesity associated with an increased frequency of high blood pressure in children?
Severe obesity in children is associated with a more than twofold increased likelihood of high blood pressure, emphasizing the need for routine screening and management in primary care.
Severe obesity associated with high BP in children; leaves open whether this informs targeted screening or requires prospective confirmation.
BACKGROUND: Child obesity is a major health problem particularly affecting disadvantaged population groups. Severe obesity carries additional health risks for children. In the context of the childhood obesity epidemic, high blood pressure among children is of increasing concern. METHODS: Chart reviews were carried out to examine the prevalence of severe obesity and its association with high blood pressure measurements among randomly selected patients aged 3 to 17 years who had well-child care visits at 8 public community health centers during 2010. RESULTS: A majority of the 691 patients reviewed were African American (58%); an additional 16% were Hispanic. The prevalence of severe obesity was 7.7% (95% confidence interval = 5.8% to 9.9%) and the prevalence of high blood pressure measurements was 17.5% (95% confidence interval = 14.8% to 20.6%). Patients who were severely obese were more than twice as likely as other children to have high blood pressure values. CONCLUSIONS: Severe obesity is associated with substantially increased frequency of high blood pressure measurements in children, and should be investigated further as a potential marker for hypertension in children. Primary care providers should be prepared to diagnose and treat hypertension in severely obese children.
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Nguyen et al. (2013) conducted a cross-sectional in Severe obesity and high blood pressure (n=691). Severe obesity vs. Other children (not severely obese) was evaluated on High blood pressure measurements. Severely obese children aged 3 to 17 years were more than twice as likely to have high blood pressure measurements compared to other children.
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