title: Blood pressure tracking in children and adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Blood pressure tracking could help to identify individuals with potential hypertension. Therefore, we have asked whether or not tracking was of predictive value for the development of hypertension in early life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood pressure was routinely measured in 13,261 children and adolescents in outpatient clinics as well as during hospitalization. In one analysis, 568 individuals with elevated and normotensive blood pressure values were evaluated after 2, 4, and 6 years of follow-up. In a second analysis, 2,157 individuals with normotensive blood pressure were examined in a paired t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The follow-up analysis showed a significant tracking effect. However, the Pearson correlation coefficients of the systolic and diastolic blood pressure standard deviation scores (SDS) decreased over time. Upon the follow-up after 6 years, 35.6 % of the children and adolescents with elevated blood pressure values remained in the elevated range group. Of the children within the normotensive blood pressure range, 80.4 % remained normotensive after 6 years. Children with normotensive blood pressure showed a stronger tracking than those who had had one hypertensive blood pressure reading. Children with higher body mass index (BMI) at follow-up changed blood pressure SDS track from initially normal to higher blood pressure values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blood pressure tracking in children and adolescents is moderate. We conclude that the predictive power of a single hypertensive blood pressure measurement during a single visit is rather small, and thus repetitive measurements across several consecutive visits are necessary.
authors: André
authors: A
authors: Miersch
authors: Mandy
authors: M
authors: Vogel
authors: Ruth
authors: R
authors: Gausche
authors: Werner
authors: W
authors: Siekmeyer
authors: Roland
authors: R
authors: Pfäffle
authors: Katalin
authors: K
authors: Dittrich
authors: Wieland
authors: W
authors: Kiess
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
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