ABSTRACT
FUNDAMENTO: Aumento do índice de massa corporal (IMC) e da circunferência abdominal (CA) tem sido associado a elevação da pressão arterial. OBJETIVO: Avaliar o efeito do IMC e da CA sobre a pressão arterial (PA) de adolescentes. MÉTODOS: Estudo analítico de corte transversal. Selecionados 536 adolescentes, alunos de escolas públicas e privadas. Foram calculados IMC, classificado como normal alto (>p50
BACKGROUND: Increased body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) have been associated with blood pressure elevation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of BMI and WC on blood pressure (BP) of adolescents. METHODS: Cross-sectional analytical study including 536 adolescents from public and private schools. BMI was calculated and classified as high-normal (> 50th p and < 85th p), overweight (> 85th p and < 95th p), and obesity (> 95th p). WC was measured and considered increased if > 75th p. BP was considered elevated if > 90th p. RESULTS: 319 (59.5 percent) adolescents were girls, the mean age was 14.0± 1.99 years, high-normal weight was found in 39.6 percent, overweight in 37.1 percent and obesity in 23.3 percent. The percentage of high SBP and DBP followed the increase in BMI (p=0.000), reaching 46.4 percent among boys and 39.3 percent among obese girls for SBP and 42.0 percent and 44.6 percent for DBP, respectively. High SBP and DBP were 3.9 and 3.4 times more frequent among boys and 2.2 to 2.0 times more frequent among girls with WC > 75th p, respectively. Using simple linear regression analysis, each increment in BMI would increase SBP by 1.198 mmHg, and in WC by 0.622 mmHg. The PR for elevated SBP and DBP in relation to BMI > 85th p was 3.9 (95 percent CI 2.0-7.4[p=0.000]) and 4.3(95 percent CI 2.2-8.5[p=0.000]), respectively; in relation to WC > 75th p was 1.8(95 percent CI 1.0 to 3.0 [p=0.036]) and 1.4 (95 percent CI 0.8 to 2.4). BP > 90th p with WC < 75th p was found in 16/181 (8.8 percent) of the adolescents with high-normal weight. CONCLUSION: BMI and WC values have a strong influence on BP values in adolescents.