title: Preliminary blood pressure screening in a representative sample of extremely obese Kuwaiti adolescents.
abstract: A relationship between blood pressure (BP) and obesity has been found in young adults, but no data are available for adolescents in Kuwait. 257 adolescent (11-19 years) participants were categorized into two groups according to their BMI; 48 nonobese (21 males: 43.7% and 27 females: 56.3%) with mean age of 15.61 ± 2.40 years and 209 obese (128 males: 61.25% and 81 females: 38.75%) with mean age of 15.02 ± 2.82 years. The mean BMI was 21.7 ± 2.23 kg/m(2) for the nonobese group and 34.47 ± 4.70 kg/m(3) for the obese group. Most BP measures based on a single screening were significantly higher in the obese group. The prevalence of elevated BP was significantly higher in the obese subjects (nonobese: 13%; obese: 63%; P < 0.0001). In the obese group, there was a significant positive correlation between total sample BMI and all BP measures except the pulse pressure. There was a similar rate of elevated blood pressure between males and females (64% versus 60%; P = 0.66). For both isolated systolic elevated BP and isolated diastolic elevated BP, the prevalences were comparable between the males (systolic: 42%; diastolic: 5%) and females (systolic: 34%; diastolic: 14%). Only systolic BP was positively correlated with BMI in obese adolescent males (Spearman r = 0.18; P < 0.05), with a significant correlation between BMI with diastolic (Spearman r = 0.22; P < 0.05) and mean BP (Spearman r = 0.21; P < 0.05) in females.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Road 2904, Building 293, 329 Manama, Bahrain ; CMMS, Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Road 2904, Building 293, 329 Manama, Bahrain.
authors.forename: Rima
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abdul Razzak
authors.affiliation: CMMS, Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Road 2904, Building 293, 329 Manama, Bahrain.
authors.forename: Asma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elmteri
authors.affiliation: CMMS, Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Road 2904, Building 293, 329 Manama, Bahrain.
authors.forename: Taiba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Elkanderi
authors.affiliation: CMMS, Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Road 2904, Building 293, 329 Manama, Bahrain.
authors.forename: Fareedah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ishaq
authors.affiliation: CMMS, Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Road 2904, Building 293, 329 Manama, Bahrain.
authors.forename: Munera
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eljasem
authors.affiliation: CMMS, Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Road 2904, Building 293, 329 Manama, Bahrain.
authors.forename: Saja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: AlDuraie
authors.affiliation: CMMS, Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Road 2904, Building 293, 329 Manama, Bahrain.
authors.forename: Jenan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Al-Boloushi
authors.affiliation: CMMS, Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Road 2904, Building 293, 329 Manama, Bahrain.
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Elbanay
authors.affiliation: CMMS, Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Road 2904, Building 293, 329 Manama, Bahrain.
authors.forename: Latifa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eldabos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D058246:Prehypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D014507:Urbanization