Prevalence of arterial hypertension among Ukrainian students: the comparison of European and American guidelines

Abstract

Introduction: Arterial hypertension (HTN) among children is progressively increasing. These concerns have led to an update of the guidelines about childhood hypertension by the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) in 2016 and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 2017, and their thresholds for HTN differ. The current research aims to compare the prevalence of hypertension in Ukrainian teenagers using 2 different guidelines and to check the impact of gender, age, and excess weight on hypertension. Material and methods:The sample includes 540 Ukrainian students of 2 secondary urban schools, aged 10-17 years. Blood pressure and anthropometrical measurements were taken and compared with percentile tables. Results: The prevalence of abnormal BP (11.3% and 15.2%) and HTN (1.9% and 4.1%) was determined with ESH and AAP guidelines, respectively, and they strongly depended on which definitions and criteria were used. Boys were much more predisposed to abnormal BP. Comparing both guidelines, there was no significant difference in HTN prevalence in children aged 10-12 years; nevertheless, AAP recognized HTN almost twice as often in teenagers aged ≥ 13 years. Excess body weight was identified in 17.2% of the school-age children, twice as frequently as in males. Conclusions:The results have shown a higher prevalence of HTN in teenagers and children with excessive weight more significant in boys and between children with positive markers of abdominal obesity due to both guidelines, without a significant difference in prevalence after re-classification; however, AAP recommendations might be preferable.

Prevalence and risk factors for hypertension among children and adolescents in Shaanxi Province, Northwestern China, according to the three hypertension guidelines

“…The prevalence of HBP varies widely across studies worldwide (ranging from 0.6-25.1%) performed at different times, in different manners, across age groups, and among populations of children and adolescents 17 . For instance, the prevalence of hypertension in Lithuanian adolescents aged 12-15 years is 22.2% 18 ; in 9-13-year-old Greek school children, it is 23% 19 .…”