[Screening for high blood pressure among hypertensive and metabolic syndrome patients' children].
OBJECTIVE
Essential arterial hypertension (HTA) and metabolic syndrome (MS) are highly prevalent disorders, with familiar aggregation and important mortality. Late HTA diagnosis is made in a high percentage of people. The aim of this study was to diagnose HTA among hypertensive and MS patients' children.


METHODS
Hypertensive and MS patients attended at primary and hypertension clinics were studied. Hypertensive patients collaborated to get their children's blood pressure measured. If high blood pressure was detected, the patients' children were referred to their family doctor in order to confirm the diagnosis of HTA.


RESULTS
118 hypertensive patients were studied. Blood pressure was measured in 117 hypertensive patients' children. Thirty-two of them (27.4%) had blood pressure > or = 130/85 mmHg. Eventually, 20 of them (62.5%) were diagnosed of HTA. 17% of the hypertensive patients' children studied were newly diagnosed of HTA.


CONCLUSIONS
Screening for HTA among hypertensive and MS patients' children is useful for early diagnosis or HTA and it is cost-effective.
Grilo Reina
Antonio
A
Unidad de Hipertensión, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Virgen de Valme, Seville, Spain. dragrilo@telefonica.net
Pérez Benito
María
M
Ferreiro Madueño
Manuel
M
Prieto Jirón
Jesús
J
Moreno Torres
Francisco
F
Espino Montoro
Antonio
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged