Frequency of hypertension in asymptomatic children without risk factors

Frequency of hypertensıon ın asymptomatıc chıldren wıthout rısk factors Purpose: We think that changing dietary habits and sedentary lifestyle due to increased screen addiction may have increased the frequency of hypertension in children. For this purpose, the frequency of hypertension in children aged 3-18 years, who were asymptomatic and had no risk factors for hypertension, was investigated in our 2-year study which is doness prospectively. Material and Methods: This study was carried out prospectively between January 1, 2021 and January 1, 2022, including children aged 3-18 years, who applied to the General Pediatrics Polyclinic of the Inonu University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and without any known risk factors for hypertension. Age, gender, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure percentile, hypertension in parents, hypertension in other members of the family, coronary disease in parents (CAD), CAD in other family members, kidney disease in parents, kidney disease in parents (CAD), CAD in other family members, kidney disease in parents, kidney disease in other family members disease, obesity in parents, and obesity in other family members were recorded. Analyzes were performed using software programs SPSS 22 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). Results: It was detected that, out of the 468 patients included in the study, 48 (10.3%) of them had prehypertension, 71 (15.2%) of them had stage 1 HT, and 33 (7.1%) of them had stage 2 HT. The total HT frequency in our study group was calculated as 32.5%. The mean age of the group which is detected with hypertension was 9.1±4.1 years, and the group which is not detected with hypertension was 9.9±4.2 years (P₌0,044). The BMI of the group which is detected with hypertension was 19.3±5.4, and the group which is not detected with hypertension was 17.6±3.6 (P<0,001). While there was a family history of HT in 56.6% of the group detected with hypertension, it was present in 46.5% of the group not detected with hypertension (P₌0,048). While a history of CAD in the father was present in four patients (2.6%) from the group detected with hypertension, it was present in 25 patients (7.9%) from the group not detected with hypertension (P₌0,038). While there was a history of obesity in the mothers of 22 (14.4%) patients in the group detected with hypertension, it was present in 19 (6.0%) in the group not detected with hypertension (P₌0,003). In the group detected with hypertension, BMI was found to be statistically significantly higher than the group without familial hypertension, coronary artery disease in the father and no history of obesity in the mother. A positive correlation was found between body mass index and detection of HT in Spearman correlation test (r: 0,468 P<0,001). In Binary multiple regression analysis (Backward LR model), age (OR 0,884; P<0,001), body mass index (OR 1,154; P<0,001), family history of HT (OR 1,543, P₌0,040), history of coronary artery disease in the father (OR 0,282, P₌0,026) and presence of obesity in the mother (OR 2,238, P₌0,022) were found to be independent risk factors for the detection of hypertension in children. According to these results, a high body mass index increases the detection risk of HT by 1,154 times, a family history of HT 1,543 times, a father's history of coronary artery disease 0,282 times, and the history of obesity in the mother 2,238 times. Conclusion: In our study, it was observed that the frequency of HT was higher than previous studies. We think that this result is due to the inclusion of the group classified as prehypertension and stage 1 HT in our study. Although obese children were not included in the study, it was found that the increase in BMI and the frequency of HT were correlated, and family history of HT, coronary artery disease in the father and the history of obesity in the mother were independent predictors of HT in children. Considering the increase in the frequency of hypertension in children, we think that all patients aged 3-18 years with no risk factors should have their blood pressure measured during physical examination. Key words: Hypertension, coronary artery disease, obesity, body mass index