Blood Pressure in Children in the 21st Century: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go From Here?

Pediatric Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Health in Adulthood

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review summarizes current knowledge on blood pressure in children and adolescents (youth), with a focus on primary hypertension-the most common form of elevated blood pressure in this demographic. We examine its etiology, progression, and long-term cardiovascular implications. The review covers definitions and recommendations of blood pressure classifications, recent developments in measurement, epidemiological trends, findings from observational and clinical studies, and prevention and treatment, while identifying gaps in understanding and suggesting future research directions.

RECENT FINDINGS

Youth hypertension is an escalating global issue, with regional and national variations in prevalence. While the principles of blood pressure measurement have remained largely consistent, challenges in this age group include a scarcity of automated devices that have passed independent validation for accuracy and a generally limited tolerance for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. A multifaceted interplay of factors contributes to youth hypertension, impacting long-term cardiovascular health. Recent studies, including meta-analysis and sophisticated life-course modelling, reveal an adverse link between youth and life-course blood pressure and subclinical cardiovascular outcomes later in life. New evidence now provides the strongest evidence yet linking youth blood pressure with clinical cardiovascular events in adulthood. Some clinical trials have expanded our understanding of the safety and efficacy of antihypertensive medications in youth, but this remains an area that requires additional attention, particularly regarding varied screening approaches. This review outlines the potential role of preventing and managing blood pressure in youth to reduce future cardiovascular risk. A global perspective is necessary in formulating blood pressure definitions and strategies, considering the specific needs and circumstances in low- and middle-income countries compared to high-income countries.

Cumulative environmental stress and emerging cardiometabolic risk during childhood

OBJECTIVE

To prospectively evaluate the relationship between cumulative environmental stress and cardiometabolic risk in middle childhood, and to examine whether hair cortisol, a measure of hypothalamic pituitary adrenal-axis activity, mediates this relationship.

METHODS

In a cohort of children from low-income households (n = 320; 59% Hispanic, 23% Black, body mass index (BMI) percentile >50th at enrollment), environmental stressors including family and neighbourhood factors representing disadvantage/deprivation, and cortisol concentrations from hair samples, were measured over five timepoints beginning when children were 2-4 years old. Cardiometabolic risk factors (i.e., BMI, blood pressure, lipids, blood sugar, C-reactive protein) were measured at the final timepoint when children were 7-11 years of age.

RESULTS

In adjusted logistic regression models, greater cumulative environmental stress was associated with a higher likelihood of elevated cardiometabolic risk in middle childhood (p = 0.01). Children from minoritized racial/ethnic groups had a higher prevalence of both stressors and cardiometabolic risk factors. Cumulative environmental stress was associated with higher hair cortisol concentrations (p < 0.01). However, hair cortisol was not directly associated with cardiometabolic risk factors and did not explain the association between environmental stress and cardiometabolic risk in causal mediation analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

The influence of cumulative stress on cardiometabolic health can be observed in middle childhood and may contribute to cardiometabolic health disparities, highlighting the importance of public health interventions to mitigate disadvantage.

Childhood BMI trajectories predict cardiometabolic risk and perceived stress at age 13 years: the STARS cohort

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine BMI trajectories from birth throughout childhood, associations with health outcomes at age 13 years, and time frames during which early-life BMI influenced adolescent health.

METHODS

Participants (1902, 44% male) reported perceived stress and psychosomatic symptoms and were examined for waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), pulse wave velocity, and white blood cell counts (WBC). BMI trajectory was analyzed using group-based trajectory modeling of retrospective data of weight/height from birth throughout childhood. The authors performed linear regression to assess associations between BMI trajectories and health outcomes at age 13 years, presented as estimated mean differences with 95% CI among trajectories.

RESULTS

Three BMI trajectories were identified: normal; moderate; and excessive gain. Adjusting for covariates, adolescents with excessive gain had higher WC (19.2 [95% CI: 18.4-20.0] cm), SBP (3.6 [95% CI: 2.4-4.4] mm Hg), WBC (0.7 [95% CI: 0.4-0.9] × 109 /L), and stress (1.1 [95% CI: 0.2-1.9]) than adolescents with normal gain. Higher WC (6.4 [95% CI: 5.8-6.9] cm), SBP (1.8 [95% CI: 1.0-2.5] mm Hg), and stress (0.7 [95% CI: 0.1-1.2]) were found in adolescents with moderate versus normal gain. The association of early-life BMI with SBP started around age 6 years with the excessive gain group, which was earlier than in the normal and moderate gain groups, in which it started at age 12 years.

CONCLUSIONS

An excessive gain BMI trajectory from birth predicts cardiometabolic risk and stress in 13-year-old individuals.

Prevalence of Pediatric Masked Hypertension and Risk of Subclinical Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Masked hypertension (MH) occurs when office blood pressure is normal, but hypertension is confirmed using out-of-office blood pressure measures. Hypertension is a risk factor for subclinical cardiovascular outcomes, including left ventricular hypertrophy, increased left ventricular mass index, carotid intima media thickness, and pulse wave velocity. However, the risk factors for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring defined MH and its association with subclinical cardiovascular outcomes are unclear. A systematic literature search on 9 databases included English publications from 1974 to 2023. Pediatric MH prevalence was stratified by disease comorbidities and compared with the general pediatric population. We also compared the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy, and mean differences in left ventricular mass index, carotid intima media thickness, and pulse wave velocity between MH versus normotensive pediatric patients. Of 2199 screened studies, 136 studies (n=28 612; ages 4-25 years) were included. The prevalence of MH in the general pediatric population was 10.4% (95% CI, 8.00-12.80). Compared with the general pediatric population, the risk ratio (RR) of MH was significantly greater in children with coarctation of the aorta (RR, 1.91), solid-organ or stem-cell transplant (RR, 2.34), chronic kidney disease (RR, 2.44), and sickle cell disease (RR, 1.33). MH patients had increased risk of subclinical cardiovascular outcomes compared with normotensive patients, including higher left ventricular mass index (mean difference, 3.86 g/m2.7 [95% CI, 2.51-5.22]), left ventricular hypertrophy (odds ratio, 2.44 [95% CI, 1.50-3.96]), and higher pulse wave velocity (mean difference, 0.30 m/s [95% CI, 0.14-0.45]). The prevalence of MH is significantly elevated among children with various comorbidities. Children with MH have evidence of subclinical cardiovascular outcomes, which increases their risk of long-term cardiovascular disease.