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Abstract
There has been an increasing interest in the study of blood pressure in childhood, either in the definition of normal values or in the phenomenon of ”tracking” of BP values from childhood to adulthood. Blood pressure during childhood is established strongest predictor of adult blood pressure levels. High blood pressure is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Physiological and epidemiological evidence suggests that essential hypertension and the precursors of cardiovascular disease originate in childhood. The presence of hypertension in childhood has been linked with left ventricular hypertrophy and atherosclerotic fibrous plaque formation prior to the third decade of life. Hypertension is known as the ”silent killer,” because affected individuals are asymptomatic until blood pressure reaches a critical level or until sequelae present. Untreated hypertension is associated with increased risk for myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, stroke, and end-stage renal disease. Early identification and treatment of hypertension can reduce the risk of CVD sequelae. The fourth report from the American National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP) Working Group on Children and Adolescents developed the definition and classification of hypertension in 2004. BP standards that are based on sex, age, and height provide more precise classification of BP according to body size.
The prevalence of childhood overweight has increased markedly over the last 2 decades. In concern with this increasing prevalence, anecdotal evidence suggests that pediatric hypertension may also have become more prevalent than previously reported. Obesity is a main effecter of BP in children. It is becoming a global epidemic in both children and adults.
This study was conducted to fulfill the following aims:
1. To study blood pressure norms among school adolescents.
2. To construct local percentile values of blood pressure for school adolescents.
3. To estimate the prevalence of hypertension among school adolescents.
4. To determine some related factors for hypertension among school adolescents.
The study was conducted in three phases:
I- Preparatory phase:
During the preparatory phase, literature was reviewed and study tools were prepared. Preparatory educational courses were taken and pilot study was carried out.
II- Operational phase:
The study was carried out using a cros