ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Blood pressure (BP) during childhood is an established predictor of adult BP, which in turn predicts mortality in the event of cardiovascular disease. Reference data for systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) BP are not available for Hungarian children (aged 11-14 years). The aim was to make up for this deficit. METHODS: Analyses were performed on 14,504 Hungarian children aged 11-16 years. All measurements were made with a validated, automated device. Criteria described by international guidelines were used. RESULTS: The 50th, 90th and 95th percentile BP values were defined by dividing the participating population into age-, gender- and height-specific subgroups. The SBP increased linearly with age to an apparent plateau at around the age of 15-16 years in both girls and boys, and there were similar increases in DBP and mean arterial pressure. Both the SBP and DBP revealed highly significant correlations in both genders with weight (SBP: r = 0.452, p < 0.01; DBP: r = 0.340, p < 0.01), height (SBP: r = 0.314, p < 0.01; DBP: r = 0.245, p < 0.01) and body mass index (SBP: r = 0.407, p < 0.01; DBP: r = 0.294, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The present study provides reference data on SBP and DBP, facilitating the diagnosis of essential hypertension in the 11- to 16-year age group.
