Hypertension can begin in the first years of life, as the risk of hypertension in obese children is four times higher than in children of normal weight. This has been demonstrated by a study presented at the scientific sessions of the congress on hypertension being held by the American Heart Association (AHA).
Specifically, the study followed the growth and blood pressure of 1,117 children for 27 years. Now, of those children, 6% of those who were of normal weight, 14% of those who were overweight as children and 26% of those who were obese have hypertension.
The relationship between childhood obesity and hypertension is clear. Therefore, Dr. Sara E. Watson, author of the study, reminded, “It is important for pediatricians to counsel their patients about the risk of high blood pressure associated with overweight, obesity and stress, and that a healthy diet-including reducing salt intake and exercise-can help reduce this risk.”
Consequences of hypertension
Dr. Empar Lurbe, who leads a research group on the consequences of childhood obesity at the Center for Networked Research on the Pathophysiology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn), has spoken along the same lines. Lurbe also warned that “hypertension has a series of repercussions, both at the level of the blood vessels and at the level of the heart and kidney”.
Lurbe also recalled that “hypertension is considered when a child has a systolic and/or diastolic pressure above the 95th percentile in relation to his or her sex, age and height”.