title: Relation of body mass index (BMI) to the prevalence of hypertension in children: A 3years' school-based prospective study in Suzhou, China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of hypertension has been increasing in children and adolescents in China, which is considered to be accompanied with the epidemic of childhood overweight and obesity, but limited prospective studies have investigated the effect of body mass index (BMI) change on blood pressure among children, especially in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  This school-based prospective study compared the blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension in students with different patterns of change in BMI between two periods (childhood and adolescence). 5465 children were followed-up since 2011(childhood) in Suzhou, China and had weight, height and blood pressure measured in 2011(childhood) and 2014(adolescence).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Those who changed from being overweight in childhood to having normal BMI in adolescence had similar mean blood pressures to those who had a normal BMI at both two periods. In contrast, those who were overweight at both two periods or who had a normal BMI in childhood and were overweight in adolescence had higher blood pressure in adolescence than those who had a normal BMI at both two periods. Compared with students who had a normal BMI at both periods, those with combination of abnormal BMI in childhood and adolescence have higher ORs of hypertension (4.83 in boys, 3.44 in girls and 3.73 in total).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that obesity is a key determinant of blood pressure during childhood, and weight reduction may have important beneficial effects on blood pressure.
authors: Suzhou Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors: Jia
authors: J
authors: Hu
authors: Health Center for Women and Children of Gusu District, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors: Guang-Ping
authors: GP
authors: Chu
authors: Suzhou Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors: Fei-Fei
authors: FF
authors: Huang
authors: MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, Institute of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors: Yi-Kai
authors: YK
authors: Zhou
authors: Suzhou Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors: Chen-Gang
authors: CG
authors: Teng
authors: Suzhou Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors: Hai-Bing
authors: HB
authors: Yang
authors: Suzhou Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: 18962168733@163.com.
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Shen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D050177:Overweight / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012574:Schools / Q000639:trends*; D013334:Students; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Blood pressure; Children and adolescent; Hypertension; Obesity; Weight loss