Falkner B, Kushner H, Katz S
Birth weight, childhood growth, and adult blood pressure in
African Americans
Am Soc Nephrol
J Am Soc Nephrol (abstract)
(Sep) 7:1549 1996
In adults, the use of ambulatory BP monitoring has rapidly escalated
and a body of information is available on normative values at
different ages. Furthermore, several trials are ongoing in Europe
which use ambulatory monitoring as a tool to evaluate cardiovascular
outcome. A much smaller but expanding data set is available for
children. especially nonadolescents. This is a small descriptive study
of the utility of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in children.
The authors reviewed 20 studies done in children ages 4 to 17 years.
The blood pressure averages were compared to the Second Task Force BP
standards in children. They defined as hypertensive children with 50%
of both systolic and diastolic readings above the 95 th percentile for
the age or greater than 75% systolic greater than the 95 th
percentile.
Thirteen children were studied because of elevated office or home
readings. Of this group, 7 had abnormal monitor studies and were
treated, while 6 were considered normal (i.e. white-coat
hypertensive). The other 7 were studied to assess overall blood
pressure control and were considered to have good control based on
office or home readings. Of these only 3 had normal studies and the
other four required changes of their medication schedule. Of the
overall group, 50% of the children provided monitoring information
which was unexpected.
Comment: The normal range for ambulatory blood pressure in
children deserves further study. One cannot translate office readings
directly into ambulatory averages. Furthermore, the reproducibility of
ambulatory BP monitoring as well as its tolerability is probably less
than adults. However, in selected cases BP monitoring may provide
useful information.
(George Mansoor, M.D., University of Connecticut)
To go back use the BACK button on your browser.
Otherwise click on the desired link to this article below:
Am Soc Nephrol
H: Pathophysiology :
Fetal origins, birth weight
H: Special problems :
Ethnic populations