[Arterial hypertension among children and teenagers in the Upper Silesia]

Wiad Lek. 2006;59(3-4):177-83.
[Article in Polish]

Abstract

Nowadays arterial hypertension is more frequently observed among children and teenagers then it used to be earlier. Arterial hypertension and obesity are more and more often the main sources of atherosclerosis. The purpose of this work was to assess the patients with the arterial hypertension treated in the Department of Pediatric Cardiology in Katowice in 2003. Patients' age, family history of hypertension, family background and parents' education were taken into consideration. Birth weight, BMI factor, all the sufferings reported by patients, blood pressure measurements results, ABPM, EKG parameters, ECHO+ Doppler parameters, exercise test results, fundus of the eye examination, laboratory investigation results, were also analyzed. Our results show that a positive family history is a very important factor in the development of arterial hypertension among children (44.7%). In our patients' cases the most frequent clinical symptoms are tachycardia (68%) and obesity (59.2%). In conclusion, children and teenagers with hypertension should be successfully treated and those with positive family history of hypertension should be taken under primary prevention in order to decrease the risk of cardiovascular complications.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Health Services / statistics & numerical data
  • Age Factors
  • Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory / statistics & numerical data
  • Body Mass Index
  • Child
  • Child Health Services / statistics & numerical data
  • Child Welfare / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / complications
  • Hypertension / diagnosis*
  • Hypertension / epidemiology*
  • Male
  • Obesity / complications
  • Obesity / epidemiology
  • Physical Examination / statistics & numerical data
  • Poland / epidemiology
  • Primary Prevention / organization & administration
  • Risk Factors