A comparison between overweight cutoff points for detection of high blood pressure in adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the accuracy of three different cutoff points for the detection of high blood pressure in adolescents, given the strong relationship between overweight and high blood pressure levels.


METHODS
A total of 1,021 adolescents of both sexes were enrolled in the study, selected at random from public and private schools in Londrina, Brazil. Their body weight was measured using a digital balance, and their height with a portable stadiometer with a maximum extension of 2 meters. Arterial blood pressure was measured using an automatic apparatus. The capacity of body mass index to detect high blood pressure was gauged using ROC curves and their parameters (sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve).


RESULTS
The cutoff points proposed in a Brazilian standard exhibited greater accuracy (males: 0.636+/-0.038; females: 0.585+/-0.043) than the cutoff points proposed in an international (males: 0.594+/-0.040; females: 0.570+/-0.044) and a North-American standard (males: 0.612+/-0.039; females: 0.578+/-0.044).


CONCLUSIONS
The Brazilian proposal offered greatest accuracy for indicating high blood pressure levels.
Christofaro
Diego G D
DG
Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brazil. ddcleite@yahoo.com.br
Fernandes
Rômulo A
RA
Polito
Marcos D
MD
Romanzini
Marcelo
M
Ronque
Enio Ricardo Vaz
ER
Gobbo
Luís Alberto
LA
Oliveira
Arli Ramos de
AR
D000293:Adolescent; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results