[High blood pressure in children and adolescents: determinant factors]
OBJECTIVE: To review the state of prevalence of hypertension in childhood and the importance of its possible determinants. METHODS: Analysis of the literature concerned with eleven possible determinant factors - experimental design, internal and external validity. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Central body fat pattern seems to be a risk factor, while heart rate and tracking would be true markers of future hypertension. Social class, biological maturation, race, sodium intake and genetic factors have not yet been validated through unbiased studies.
Rosa
A A
AA
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Ribeiro
J P
JP