Aim: Knowledge of the existence of a prolonged action of cardiovascular risk factors since childhood is extremely important in a country with one of the highest cardiovascular mortality in Europe. The purpose of this survey was to study the prevalence of arterial hypertension (AH) and cardiovascular risk factors in Romanian paediatric population.
Methods: Children and adolescents (2407 males, 2459 females), aged 3 to 17 years from Bucharest and Ilfov County were admitted in a cross-sectional survey. Body weight, height, and blood pressure (BP) were measured and the percentiles for height, BP and body mass index were established. An interviewer-administered questionnaire about some presumed risk factors was used.
Results: The prevalence of AH in our population was 7.4%. In Bucharest AH prevalence was 8% and in rural areas 6.8% (P=0.69). AH prevalence was higher both in overweight (12.4%) and obese (24.4%) groups comparing with normal weight (5.8%), (P<0.0001). In the underweight group, AH prevalence was 3.8%. We found statistically significant the association between male gender and SH (P=0.032). While SH increases with age (P=0.015), diastolic DH decreases with age (P=0.0003). We found no correlation between AH in children and adolescents and consumption of caffeinated beverages, family history of cardiovascular disease, smoking, low birth weight, sleep disorders and abnormal sleep duration, absence of extra-school sport activity.
Conclusion: The high AH prevalence together with overweight or obesity represent cardiovascular risk factors, identified within our population.
Keywords: cardiovascular risk factors; children; high normal blood pressure; hypertension; overweight.