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Ethnicity, BMI play role in hypertension rates among adolescents
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The prevalence of hypertension among adolescents living in the greater Houston area is highest among those with Hispanic ethnicity and those with obesity, according to study findings published in Pediatrics.
“We have known that obesity is a strong risk factor for sustained blood pressure in teens,” Joshua A. Samuels, MD, MPH, of the division of pediatric nephrology and hypertension, department of pediatrics, University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, told Endocrine Today. “What is new is the finding that the relationship between these two factors is modified by ethnicity. Whites, and especially Hispanic whites, have an exaggerated risk of sustained hypertension with increasing obesity compared to other ethnicities. An obese Hispanic teen has almost six times the risk of hypertension compared to a health weight Hispanic teen.”
Samuels and colleagues conducted school-based BP screening at 27 secondary education schools in the greater Houston area in 21,062 adolescents (mean age, 13.8 years), from 2000 to 2015 to determine whether the prevalence of hypertension differs by race/ethnicity.
Participants were divided into groups based on race/ethnicity: 33% white, 35% Hispanic, 25% black and 7% Asian. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was highest in Hispanic participants followed by blacks, whites and Asians.
Prevalence of hypertension was 2.7% for all participants. The rate of hypertension was higher among boys (3.3%) compared with girls (2.1%). Participants with normal BMI had the lowest rate of hypertension (1.6%) followed by those with overweight (2.6%) and obesity (6.6%).
Hispanic participants had the highest rate of hypertension (3.1%) followed by blacks (2.7%), whites (2.6%) and Asians (1.7%; P = .019).
“Obese teens, and particularly Hispanic obese teens, need to have BP accurately measured to ensure an early diagnosis and appropriate management,” Samuels said. “We need to evaluate why Hispanic teens have this exaggerated relationship between obesity and hypertension.” – by Amber Cox
For more information:
Joshua A. Samuels, MD, MPH, can be reached at Pediatric Nephrology & Hypertension, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., MSB 3-121, Houston, Texas 77030.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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