Evaulation and comparison of blood pressure response to exercise between normotensive children of hypertensive parents and normotensive children of normotensive parents.

Introduction: Early detection of increases in blood pressure in children with family history ofhypertension that can not be determined during rest, is important for early treatment andprevention of complications. Exercise test is a noinvasive and inexpensive method that candetect the increases in blood pressure due to exercise. Therefore, the aim of this study is todetermine the differences in blood pressure response to exercise test between children withfamily history of hypertension and children without a risk factor and to evaluate the exerciserecommendation in the light of these findings.Method: This study enrolled 60 normotansive (blood pressur percentile according to age,gender and height <90) aged 8-16 years. Thirty children with family history of hypertensionformed the disease group while thirty without family history formed the control group.Detailed physical examination including weight and height were performed to all children.Echocardiography, resting blood pressure measurement and exercise test were performed.Results. Mean ages of the children in disease and control groups were 12.0 ± 2.8 and 11.7 ±1.8 respectively (p=0.58; CI:-0.88-1.55). Resting systolic blood pressure was significantlyhigher in the disease group compared to the control group (p=0.03; CI=0.38-8.02). Meandiastolic blood pressures were not different among the groups (p=0.53; CI=-1.51-2.91).Maximal heart rate during exercise test was significantly higher in the disease groupcompared to the control group (181.5 ± 20.3/ min and 170.4 ± 22.7/ min respectively; p=0.05;CI=0.01-22.3).Blood pressures during exercise test were not significantly different betweenthe groups (p= 0.47 and p=0.72 respectively).Discussion: The results of this study indicate that systolic and diastolic blood pressureresponses of the normotensive children with and without family history of hypertension toexercise are not different. Therefore, it was thought that exercise restriction is not required inchildren with family history of hypertensiyon.