title: Relationship between asthma and high blood pressure among adolescents in Aracaju, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma has been linked to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and related risk factors such as hypertension in adults. It is unclear whether the relationship between asthma and hypertension found among adults is also observed in adolescents. Hence, the authors examined asthma and its association with prehypertension and hypertension among adolescents in Aracaju, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on asthma and blood pressure were collected among 1002 adolescents age 12 to 17 years old in 15 public schools, 5 municipal schools, and 10 private schools. Asthma data were ascertained by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) written questionnaire. Sex-, age-, and height-specific percentile levels were used to define prehypertension (90-94th percentile) and hypertension (>or=95th percentile).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of asthma was 20.6% in boys and 27.7% in girls. Among boys, the prevalence rates of prehypertension and hypertension were 26.7% and 17.0%, respectively. Among girls, the rates of prehypertension and hypertension were 14.3% and 12.9%, respectively. There were no statistically significant associations between asthma and prehypertension, and hypertension, even after adjusting for age, social economic status, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI) in both boys (prehypertension: odds ratio [OR] = 1.35, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80-2.27; hypertension: OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.29-1.23) and girls (prehypertension: OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.40-1.28; hypertension: OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.60-1.94).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest no association between asthma and high blood pressure in adolescents. More prospective studies are needed to establish whether hypertension becomes more pronounced at a specific age in asthmatics, and if so, the possible factors that may contribute to this.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rik
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roelofs
authors.forename: Ricardo Q
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Gurgel
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wendte
authors.forename: Jorinde
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Polderman
authors.forename: José Augusto S
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Barreto-Filho
authors.forename: Dirceu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Solé
authors.forename: Jackeline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Motta-Franco
authors.forename: Jeroen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Munter
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agyemang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires