title: Baroreflex sensitivity in children and adolescents: physiology, hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus.
abstract: The increased prevalence of obesity in children and its complications have led to a greater interest in studying baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in children. This review of BRS in children and adolescents includes subtopics on: 1. Resting values of BRS and their reproducibility, 2. Genetics of BRS, 3. The role of a primarily low BRS and obesity in the development of hypertension, and 4. Association of diabetes mellitus, BRS, and obesity. The conclusions specific to this age follow from this review: 1. The mean heart rate (HR) influences the measurement of BRS. Since the mean HR decreases during adolescence, HR should be taken into account. 2. A genetic dependency of BRS was found. 3. Low BRS values may precede pathological blood-pressure elevation in children with white-coat hypertension. We hypothesize that low BRS plays an active role in the emergence of hypertension in youth. A contribution of obesity to the development of hypertension was also found. We hypothesize that both factors, a primarily low BRS and obesity, are partially independent risk factors for hypertension in youths. 4. In diabetics, a low BRS compared to healthy children can be associated with insulin resistance. A reversibility of the BRS values could be possible after weight loss.
authors.affiliation: International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic. ezavod21@gmail.com.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Honzíková
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Závodná
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*