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Sympathoadrenergic and metabolic factors and ambulatory blood pressure changes in childhood obesity

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 22, pages 73–74 (2008)Cite this article

Given the great interest into the clinical epidemiology of hypertension in children, as reflected by recent publications in this journal,1, 2, 3, 4 it is not surprising that we also need to understand more of the underlying pathophysiology related to high blood pressure in the pediatric population. Some attention has been directed towards maternal influences,5, 6 anthropological measures,7 arterial stiffness and pulse wave velocity,8, 9 but we may still be some way from having all the answers.

In this issue of the Journal of Human Hypertension, Gilardini et al.10 reported a study that investigates the relationship between ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and several pathophysiological factors linking obesity to hypertension of young Italian obese population. Eighty-nine obese children and adolescents underwent daytime BP, 24 h ambulatory BP monitoring, oral glucose tolerance test, anthropometric test (stature, weight, waist girth) and other biochemical tests. The study concluded that the risk of systolic and diastolic hypertension increases with the increase of standard deviation score of body mass index and waist girth, respectively.

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  1. Chronic Disease of Lifestyle Unit, Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa

    K D Monyeki

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Correspondence to K D Monyeki.

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Monyeki, K. Sympathoadrenergic and metabolic factors and ambulatory blood pressure changes in childhood obesity. J Hum Hypertens 22, 73–74 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002290

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