Aisha Mohammed. Etiology of Hypertension and its Association with Obesity in the Pediatric Population

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Presenter/Author:  Aisha Mohammed, MD
Resident, University of Texas Medical Branch, Pediatrics

Contributing Author/Mentor:  Kayla Tunnel MS, Shivaiah Balachandra, MD
University of Texas Medical Branch




POSTER ABSTRACT  (View Poster PDF)

Objective:  We hypothesize that obesity contributes to HTN in obese children, while hypertension in children with normal BMI is likely to be due to a secondary cause.

Background:  Current data reports a prevalence of hypertension in over 10% of the pediatric population. Epidemiologic studies on causes of hypertension and obesity are investigated in literature. These studies were based on single blood pressure readings. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is the gold standard for evaluation of hypertension in children. Given the poor health outcomes and increased financial burden of those with HTN and those with obesity, early identification, and intervention in preventing obesity and HTN is beneficial.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 245 pediatric patients with hypertension (diagnosed with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring) was performed by gathering data on age, race, sex, BMI percentile, systolic and diastolic loads, and diagnosis.

Conclusions: Our study showed that hypertensive children with BMI above 95th percentile generally had no identifiable cause and were diagnosed with primary hypertension attributable to obesity. Children with BMI below 95th percentile were found to have secondary causes requiring further investigation. HTN due to renal etiology was the most common finding.

References:
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2 Kim YK, Kim HU, Song JY. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and blood pressure load in obese children. Korean Circ J. 2009 Nov;39(11)):482-7.
3 Lurbe E, Alvarez V, Liao Y, et al. The impact of obesity and body fat distribution on ambulatory blood pressure in children and adolescents. Am J Hypertens. 1998 Apr;11(4 Pt 1):418-24.
4 The childhood role in development of primary hypertension. Am J Hypertension. 2018 Apr; 10