Adolescence as possible critical temporal window for blood pressure short term monitoring in boys and girls.

Adolescence is a critical temporal window for the development of obesity in adult age. We studied this period for short-term monitoring of blood pressure in both genders. Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) were recorded in 937 adolescents, 474 boys and 463 girls aged 12 years, and again 2 years later in the same subjects. Boys with BP values > or = 95th percentile at both ages (no. = 8) showed at 12 years weight (kg 61.4) height (cm 159.5) and BMI (23.5), and also at 14 years (77.0, 172.4, 25.6) values consistently higher than boys with high BP values at either ages taken singularly (no. = 32 + 32) (mean 49.2, 154.4, 21.5, respectively, at 12 years, and 62.1, 167.0, 22.2 at 14 years). These 64 boys, had values higher than boys with BP always below the 95th percentile (no. = 402) (45.5, 151.4, 19.7 at 12 years, and 56.9, 164.6, 20.9 at 14 years). This was confirmed for weight and BMI in girls. Stepwise logistic regression revealed that weight at 12 years and high BP values at 12 years were predictive independent risk factors for hypertension at 14 years. Odds ratio indicated that increment of body weight unit (1 kg) at 12 years predicted an average increase of 4% of risk for high BP values at 14 years, while high BP values at 12 years was predictive for a 2.19 times risk for high BP values at 14 years. Body weight, BMI and BP at 12 years of age may give useful indications for the prevision (and possible prevention) of hypertension and overweight at 14 years of age.