Association Between Obesity, Hypertension and Target Organ Damage in Children

Background: The author analysed the association between obesity and hypertension as well as the association between the degree of hypertension and target organ damage. Methods: 61 children with suspected hypertension were evaluated. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was done in all of them. An echocardiogram and ophthalmologic examination were done in all children with confirmed hypertension and high-normal blood pressure and testing for microalbuminuria in most of them. The association between obesity and hypertension and between the degree of hypertension and target organ damage was tested using the chi-squared (χ2) and exact Fisher (if needed) statistical test. Results: Nine children with confirmed hypertension (50%), 13 children with high normal blood pressure (61.9%), and 10 children with normal blood pressure (45.5%) were obese. There was no statistically significant association between obesity and hypertension (p = 0.82). 66.7% of patients with hypertension and 38.1% of those with high-normal blood pressure had left ventricular hypertrophy (p = 0.14). 38.9% of patients with hypertension and 9.5% of those with high-normal blood pressure had hypertensive retinopathy (p = 0.34). 43.8% of patients with hypertension but 57.9% of those with high-normal blood pressure had microalbuminuria (p = 0.69). There was no statistically significant association between the degree of hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy, hypertensive retinopathy, or microalbuminuria. Conclusion: The presented study did not prove a statistically significant association between obesity and hypertension or between the degree of hypertension and target organ damage.