This 4‐week randomized, double blind, placebo‐controlled study (N=240), 1‐year open label trial (N=233), and single‐dose pharmacokinetic study (N=22) evaluated candesartan cilexetil (3 doses) in hypertensive children aged 6 to 17 years. Seventy‐one percent were 12 years of age or older, 71% were male, and 47% were black. Systolic (SBP)/diastolic (DBP) blood pressure declined 8.6/4.8–11.2/8.0 mm Hg with candesartan and 3.7/1.8 mm Hg with placebo (P<.01 compared to placebo for SBP and for the mid and high doses for DBP; placebo‐corrected 4.9/3.0–7.5/6.2 mm Hg). The slopes for dose were not, however, different from zero (P>.05). The response rate (SBP and DBP <95th percentile) after 1 year was 53%. The pharmacokinetic profiles in 6‐ to 12‐ and 12‐ to 17‐year‐olds were similar and were comparable to adults. Eight candesartan patients discontinued treatment because of an adverse event. Candesartan is an effective, well‐tolerated antihypertensive agent for children aged 6 to 17 years and has a pharmacokinetic profile that is similar to that in adults.

Background Racial differences in carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) have been suggested to be associated with the disproportionally high prevalence of cardiovascular disease in black adults. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of cardiovascular risk factors on the racial differences seen in cIMT in obese children. Methods Obese subjects ages 4 to 21 were recruited prospectively. Height, weight, blood pressure, fasting insulin, glucose, lipid panel, high-sensitivity c-reactive protein, and body composition by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry were obtained. B-Mode carotid imaging was analyzed by a single blinded physician. Results A total of 120 subjects (46 white and 74 black) were enrolled. Blacks exhibited greater cIMT (0.45 ± 0.03cm vs. 0.43 ± 0.02cm, p < 0.01) and higher lean body mass (LBM) index (19.3 ± 3.4kg/m2 vs. 17.3 ± 3.2kg/m2, p = 0.02) than whites. Simple linear regression revealed modest associations between mean cIMT and race (R = 0.52, p < 0.01), systolic blood pressure (R = 0.47, p < 0.01), and LBM (R = 0.51, p < 0.01). Upon multiple variable regression, LBM remained the only measure to maintain a statistically significant relationship with mean cIMT (p < 0.01). Conclusions Black subjects demonstrated greater cIMTs than white subjects. The relationship between race and cIMT disappeared when lean body mass was accounted for. Future studies assessing the association of cardiovascular disease risk factors to cIMT in obese children should include lean body mass in the analysis.

WHtR is an accurate measure of truncal obesity. WHtR showed stronger associations with measures of insulin resistance and truncal obesity than WHR.

BackgroundThe DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) clinical trials and other studies have demonstrated a relationship between diet and cardiovascular outcomes in adults, yet little is known of this relationship in children. Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with similar increases in hypertension among this population. The purpose of our study was to examine the association between dairy intake and blood pressure (BP) in a cohort of children and adolescents (aged 4–17 years) enrolled in a weight management program.Methods and ResultsDietary intake was assessed using the Block Kids 2004 food frequency questionnaire in a cross‐sectional sample of participants enrolled in the Pediatric Metabolic Syndrome Study at the Children's Hospital (Charleston, SC). BP and other anthropometrics were obtained at baseline. Only children with complete baseline data and food frequency questionnaires were included in this analysis (n=117). Associations between food group/nutrient intake and BP were examined across race and sex using ANOVA and Pearson correlations. Linear regression models were controlled for body mass index and age. In the total sample, a significant inverse relationship was found between the intake of dairy and systolic BP (r=−0.24, P=0.009). The effect of dairy on systolic BP, however, differed by race. We observed a decrease of 11.2 mm Hg for each serving of dairy consumed by white children, and no decrease in systolic BP in black children (P=0.001 for the race–dairy serving interaction).ConclusionsNutrition professionals must consider nonnutrition factors contributing to childhood hypertension, as current dietary recommendations appear to have differential outcomes across races.

Background:Indexing left ventricular mass to body surface area or height2.7 leads to inaccuracies in diagnosing left ventricular hypertrophy in obese children. Lean body mass predictive equations provide the opportunity to determine the utility of lean body mass in indexing left ventricular mass. Our objectives were to compare the diagnostic accuracy of predicted lean body mass, body surface area, and height in detecting abnormal left ventricle mass in obese children.Methods:Obese non-hypertensive patients aged 4–21 years were recruited prospectively. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure lean body mass. Height, weight, sex, race, and body mass index z-score were used to calculate predicted lean body mass.Results:We enrolled 328 patients. Average age was 12.6 ± 3.8 years. Measured lean body mass had the strongest relationship with left ventricular mass (R2 = 0.84, p < 0.01) compared to predicted lean body mass (R2 = 0.82, p < 0.01), body surface area (R2 = 0.80, p < 0.01), and height2.7 (R2 = 0.65, p < 0.01). Of the clinically derived variables, predicted lean body mass was the only measure to have an independent association with left ventricular mass (β = 0.90, p < 0.01). Predicted lean body mass was the most accurate scaling variable in detecting left ventricular hypertrophy (positive predictive value = 88%, negative predictive value = 99%).Conclusions:Lean body mass is the strongest predictor of left ventricular mass in obese children. Predicted lean body mass is the most accurate anthropometric scaling variable for left ventricular mass in left ventricular hypertrophy detection. Predicted lean body mass should be considered for clinical use as the body size correcting variable for left ventricular mass in obese children.