Study: Blood Pressure Levels for Children, Teens Are Rising Dramatically

Blood pressure levels for children and teenagers have risen dramatically since 1988 due to the extra pounds that many are now carrying, according to a study reported in the May 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study, supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), found that children and teenagers have experienced significant increases in both systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure levels. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and the chief risk factor for stroke.

This summer, NHLBI said it would release updated clinical practice guidelines on high blood pressure in children and adolescents through the National High Blood Pressure Education Program. The guidelines will include revised blood pressure tables and updated recommendations for lifestyle and drug therapies.

"The obesity-related rise in blood pressure among American children is a serious health issue," said NHLBI Acting Director Dr. Barbara Alving. "We need to take steps to reverse this trend. One key step is to give physicians tools that can help them deal with this problem, which is why we're issuing these new guidelines."

"We want to give our children the best possible start in life," continued Alving. "That means insuring they have a healthy blood pressure and weight. We need to teach them to be physically active and to follow a heart-healthy eating plan. Otherwise, we may be giving them an early start on heart disease."

The researchers compared the differences of two previous surveys involving 5,582 children between the ages of eight and 17 that were taken between 1988-94 and 1999-2000. In both surveys, the children were about 50 percent male, 16-17 percent black and 9-12 percent Mexican-American. The average age for both groups was just under 13 years.

In 1988-94, the children's average systolic blood pressure was 104.6 mm Hg and their average diastolic pressure was 58.4 mm Hg. In 1999-2000, the children's average systolic pressure was 106 mm Hg and their average diastolic was 61.7 mm Hg. In 1988-94, 11.7 percent of the children were overweight; in 1999-2000, 16.3 percent were overweight.

"The increases found…in children's average blood pressures may seem small, but they can have serious consequences," said study co-author Dr. Jeffrey Cutler, senior advisor of the NHLBI Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications. "Previously published data indicate that, for each 1- to 2-millimeter of mercury rise in their systolic blood pressure, children face a 10 percent greater risk of developing hypertension as a young adult."

Other sources: NHLBI