Effect of blood pressure measurement on detection of elevated blood pressure in Tibetan adolescents

Although insufficient sleep has been shown to contribute to obesity-related elevated blood pressure, the circadian timing of sleep has emerged as a novel risk factor. We hypothesized that deviations in sleep midpoint, a measure of circadian timing of sleep, modify the association between visceral adiposity and elevated blood pressure in adolescents. We studied 303 subjects from the Penn State Child Cohort (16.2±2.2 years; 47.5% female; 21.5% racial/ethnic minority). Actigraphy-measured sleep duration, midpoint, variability, and regularity were calculated across a 7-night period. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure levels were measured in the seated position. Multivariable linear regression models tested sleep midpoint and its regularity as effect modifiers of VAT on SBP/diastolic blood pressure levels, while adjusting for demographic and sleep covariables. These associations were also examined as a function of being in-school or on-break. Significant interactions were found between VAT and sleep irregularity, but not sleep midpoint, on SBP (P interaction=0.007) and diastolic blood pressure (P interaction=0.022). Additionally, significant interactions were found between VAT and schooldays sleep midpoint on SBP (P interaction=0.026) and diastolic blood pressure (P interaction=0.043), whereas significant interactions were found between VAT and on-break weekdays sleep irregularity on SBP (P interaction=0.034). A delayed and an irregular sleep midpoint during school and during free-days, respectively, increase the impact of VAT on elevated blood pressure in adolescents. These data suggest that deviations in the circadian timing of sleep contribute to the increased cardiovascular sequelae associated with obesity and that its distinct metrics require measurement under different entrainment conditions in adolescents.

The pathogenesis of hypertension begins in youth. An estimated 4% of US adolescents have diagnosed hypertension and 17% have elevated blood pressures, predisposing them to hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life. There is limited research on the clustering of CVD risk factors such as tobacco exposure and weight status that may be associated with high blood pressure in adolescents. The aim of this exploratory study was to determine the relationships between total smoke exposure (TSE; cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke), waist circumference, and blood pressure in a sample of rural adolescents, ages 15-18. A convenience sample of 148 adolescents ages 15-18 was recruited from two rural high schools (88 female and 60 male, all Caucasian). Adolescents were assessed for tobacco exposure (self-report, salivary cotinine), weight status (body mass index, waist circumference), and blood pressure. Self-report measures of tobacco exposure included the Uptake Continuum and Peer and Family Smoking measure. Age, gender, waist circumference and salivary cotinine contributed to 35% of the variance in systolic blood pressure and 18% in diastolic blood pressure. One-fourth (25%) of adolescent males and 11% of adolescent females had elevated systolic blood pressures. Approximately one-fifth of the sample (22%) had elevated salivary cotinine levels indicative of tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure. TSE and waist circumference were predictors of elevated blood pressure in adolescents. Public health measures need to address clusters of risk factors including blood pressure, tobacco exposure, and weight status among adolescents in order to reduce CVD.

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Birthweight, postnatal growth and blood pressure in adolescents of low socioeconomic condition: a cohort study in Northeast Brazil

To investigate the relationship between anthropometric parameters and elevated blood pressure in adolescents, we measured blood pressure (BP), height, weight, triceps skinfold (TSF) thickness, waist circumference (WC), and mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) in 2,860 student volunteers aged 11-17 years in Kayseri, Turkey. Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), waist-to-arm-span ratio (WASR), body mass index (BMI), arm-fat area (AFA), and fat percentage (FP) were also calculated. Participants were divided into two groups: hypertensive [systolic blood pressure (SBP) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 95th percentiles, n = 246] and normotensives (SBP or DBP < 95th percentiles, n = 2614). Multiple logistic regression models were produced within these groups for the examined risk factors, and cutoff points were investigated for SBP or DBP ≥ 95th percentiles using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis. BMI, WC, WHtR, WASR, MUAC, and BMI had statistically significant cutoffs among boys. Whereas BMI, WHtR, WASR, WC, MUAC, AFA, and TSF were statistically significant for girls younger than 15, only BMI and WC were statistically significant for participants older than 15. The independent risk factors for elevated BP were determined according to BMI and WC. Although several anthropometric measurements were significant in our participants, BMI and WC were significant among all participants irrespective of age and sex.

Elevated blood pressure (BP) in adolescence has been linked to higher risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, as well as surrogate markers of atherosclerosis, such as carotid intima-media thickness and coronary artery calcification. However, these markers do not fully capture the complex spectrum of subclinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. To examine the association between systolic and diastolic BP in adolescence and atherosclerosis in middle age, measured by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). This population-based cohort study conducted in Sweden linked BP data from the Swedish Military Conscription Register (1972-1987) during adolescence to atherosclerosis data from the Swedish Cardiopulmonary Bioimage Study (2013-2018) during middle age. Data analyses were performed in May 2025. Adolescent BP was categorized according to the 2025 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) and the 2024 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines. The primary outcome was coronary atherosclerosis, evaluated via CCTA stenosis. The associations were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression, adjusted (marginal) prevalences, and restricted cubic splines. A total of 10 222 men with mean (SD) age of 18.3 (0.5) years at baseline and median (IQR) age of 57.8 (53.4-61.2) years at follow-up were included. At baseline, mean (SD) systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were 127.6 (10.7) mm Hg and 68.3 (9.5) mm Hg, respectively. After a median (IQR) follow-up of 39.5 (35.2-42.8) years, 4159 participants (45.7%) had 1% to 49% coronary stenosis and 784 (8.6%) had 50% or greater coronary stenosis. Elevated BP in adolescence was associated with coronary stenosis in a dose-response fashion. Adolescents with stage 2 hypertension had a higher risk of severe coronary stenosis (≥50%), with an odds ratio of 1.84 (95% CI, 1.40-2.42) and an adjusted prevalence of 10.1% (95% CI, 8.6%-11.5%) compared to those with normal BP (adjusted prevalence, 6.9%; 95% CI, 5.7%-8.1%). Elevated BP categories according to the 2025 ACC/AHA (120-129/<80 mm Hg) and the 2024 ESC (120-139/70-89 mm Hg) were associated with severe coronary atherosclerosis in middle age. The association was stronger for SBP than for DBP. In this population-based cohort study, higher BP levels in adolescence were associated with a dose-dependent higher risk for atherosclerosis in middle age, particularly for severe coronary atherosclerosis. Excess risks of atherosclerosis were even evident in the elevated BP range in adolescence as defined by the 2025 ACC/AHA and 2024 ESC BP guidelines.

It has been reported that adults suffering from refractory essential hypertension experience significantly fewer positive life events than healthy peers. However, the influence of positive life events on blood pressure (BP) in adolescents has been largely ignored. Therefore, we examined the relationship between self-reported positive life events and BP in 69 sixth graders with a mean age of 11.7 years. Positive life events were assessed with the Adolescent Perceived Events Scale and resting blood pressure was measured with a mercurial sphygmomanometer. Correlational analyses showed an inverse relationship between positive life events and diastolic BP, suggesting that adolescents experiencing more positive life events were more likely to have lower diastolic BP's. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that physical activity level, dietary sodium-to-potassium ratio, parental history of hypertension, and measures of body composition predicted 24.6% of the variance in systolic BP and 34.6% of the variance in diastolic BP. Moreover, positive life events predicted an additional 4.3% of the variance in diastolic BP when statistically controlling these established risk factors for hypertension. These results suggest that increased perceptions of positive life events may act as a buffer to elevated BP in adolescents.

Introduction: Although obesity, insufficient sleep and sleep apnea are known risk factors for elevated blood pressure, the circadian timing of sleep is also involved in metabolic and blood pressure regulation. As a result, sleep irregularity, which is highly prevalent in adolescents, may be a potential risk factor for obesity-related adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that greater sleep irregularity increases the impact of visceral adiposity on elevated blood pressure in adolescents. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Penn State Child Cohort follow-up study, a random population-based sample of 303 adolescents (16.2 ± 2.2 year old; 47.5% female; 21.5% racial/ethnic minority) who had complete at-home 7-night (at least 5) actigraphy (ACT) data and in-lab dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan and polysomnography (PSG) data. ACT-measured sleep duration and sleep midpoint were calculated as the intra-individual mean of the 7-night total sleep time and the midpoint (zeroed to midnight) of the sleep period, respectively. ACT-measured sleep regularity was calculated as the intra-individual standard deviation of the 7-night sleep midpoint. DEXA-measured visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was the primary predictor. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, measured three times in the seated position, were the primary outcomes. Multivariable linear regression models tested sleep midpoint and sleep regularity as effect modifiers of VAT on SBP/DBP levels, while simultaneously adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, age, ACT-measured sleep duration and PSG-measured apnea/hypopnea index. Results: Significant interactions were found between sleep regularity and VAT on SBP (p-interaction=0.009) and DBP (p-interaction=0.039), while not between mean sleep midpoint and VAT (p-interactions=0.210 and 0.883). These findings remained valid even after further adjusting for body mass index percentile (p-interactions=0.006 and 0.034). Among adolescents with high sleep irregularity (≥ 45 minutes; n=124), each standard deviation increase in VAT was associated with a 5.55 (0.91) and 3.07 (0.70) mmHg increase in SBP and DBP, respectively (both p&lt;0.001). Among those with low sleep irregularity (&lt; 45 minutes; n=179) VAT was not significantly associated with SBP [0.69 (0.99), p=0.488] or DBP [0.04 (0.77), p=0.956]. Conclusions: An irregular circadian timing of sleep may increase the impact of visceral adiposity on elevated blood pressure in adolescents. These data support that sleep irregularity, independent of sleep apnea and insufficient sleep, may contribute to the development of cardiovascular sequelae associated with central obesity.

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo analyze the association between active commuting and blood pressure in adolescents.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study with high school students from public education network in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Data from 6039 students (14 to 19 years) were collected using a questionnaire. “Physically inactive” were considered those who reported not to walk or ride a bicycle to and from school on any day of the past week, and/or those who, regardless of the weekly frequency of practice this type of activity, reported the duration of commuting to school was less than 20 minutes (round trip). The high blood pressure was obtained by Omron HEM 742 equipment. Adolescents with high blood pressure were defined as those with higher blood pressure or equal to the 95th percentile for age, sex and height. Regression logistic analyses were used to assess the association between active commuting and high blood pressure, considering adjustments for the following confounders: sex, age, overweight, total physical activity, socioeconomic level, place of residence.ResultsThe prevalence of high blood pressure was 7.3%, and 79.3% were considered insufficiently active in commuting. There was an association between high blood pressure and active commuting only among those living in rural areas (OR = 6.498; 95% CI = 1.513-27.900), and the same was not observed among those living in urban areas (OR = 1.113; 95% CI = 0.812-1.526).ConclusionActive commuting can be considered a protective factor for high blood pressure in adolescents living in rural areas.

Resting blood pressures were measured in 467 adolescents during preparticipation physical examinations for high school sports. Fifty-seven of the athletes (12.2%) had significantly elevated blood pressures. Forty-three (79.6%) of 54 subjects demonstrated significantly and persistently elevated blood pressures at 1-year follow-up. A family history of hypertension was positively associated with elevated blood pressures in 46 (80.7%) of 57 subjects compared with controls (23/410 [5.6%]). Consistent with previous studies, subjects with elevated blood pressures had a greater body weight (94.5 +/- 25.7 kg) compared with normotensive subjects (75.2 +/- 14.0 kg). Subjects with elevated blood pressures engaged in heavy resistance weight training (three times a week or more) more often (41/57 [71.9%]) than normotensive subjects (65/410 [15.8%]). These data support the idea that blood pressures measured during routine preparticipation physical examinations for high school sports are a useful tool in screening for elevated blood pressure in adolescents.

Association between perfluoroalkyl substance concentrations and blood pressure in adolescents

In contrast to the percentile-based definitions of elevated blood pressure (BP) and hypertension for children and adolescents of all ages in the 2004 fourth report, the 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) BP guideline recommends a change to single BP cut-offs for clinical diagnosis (120/< 80-129/< 80mmHg for elevated BP and ≥ 130/80mmHg for hypertension) in adolescents aged 13years and older, and it also recommends researchers using the percentile-based definitions for more precise BP classification. The aim of our study was to assess the diagnostic effect of the single BP cut-offs for identifying adolescent abnormal BP as compared to the 2017 AAP percentile table by sex, age, and height. Data were from 8287 adolescents aged 13-17years in NHANES 1999-2016 and 1659 adolescents aged 13-17years in NHANES III (1988-1994). Compared to the 2017 AAP percentile table, the single BP thresholds performed well for identifying elevated BP in adolescents in NHANES 1999-2016/NHANES III, with high values of area under the curve 0.93/0.95, sensitivity 86.7%/89.9%, specificity 100%/100%, positive predictive value (PPV) 100%/100%, negative predictive value (NPV) 98.2%/98.8%, and kappa coefficient 0.92/0.94. The results were similar for identifying hypertension in the two datasets, with especially high PPV 100%/100% and NPV 99.2%/99.2%. However, the sensitivity values of the simple method for identifying hypertension were not satisfactory among girls, younger adolescents, and Hispanic adolescents in both datasets. In conclusion, the single BP cut-offs in general performed similarly well for identifying abnormal BP as compared to 2017 AAP percentile table, but not well in some subgroups.

BackgroundAlthough preterm birth predisposes for cardiovascular disease, recent studies in children indicate normal blood pressure and arterial stiffness. This prospective cohort study therefore assessed blood pressure and arterial stiffness in adolescents born very preterm due to verified fetal growth restriction (FGR).MethodsAdolescents (14 (13–17) years; 52% girls) born very preterm with FGR (preterm FGR; n = 24) and two control groups born with appropriate birth weight (AGA), one in similar gestation (preterm AGA; n = 27) and one at term (term AGA; n = 28) were included. 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) and distensibility by magnetic resonance imaging were acquired.ResultsThere were no group differences in prevalence of hypertension or in arterial stiffness (all p ≥ 0.1). In boys, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressures increased from term AGA to preterm AGA to preterm FGR with higher daytime and 24-hour mean arterial blood pressures in the preterm FGR as compared to the term AGA group. In girls, no group differences were observed (all p ≥ 0.1).ConclusionsVery preterm birth due to FGR is associated with higher, yet normal blood pressure in adolescent boys, suggesting an existing but limited impact of very preterm birth on cardiovascular risk in adolescence, enhanced by male sex and FGR.ImpactVery preterm birth due to fetal growth restriction was associated with higher, yet normal blood pressure in adolescent boys.In adolescence, very preterm birth due to fetal growth restriction was not associated with increased thoracic aortic stiffness.In adolescence, very preterm birth in itself showed an existing but limited effect on blood pressure and thoracic aortic stiffness.Male sex and fetal growth restriction enhanced the effect of preterm birth on blood pressure in adolescence.Male sex and fetal growth restriction should be considered as additional risk factors to that of preterm birth in cardiovascular risk stratification.

Introduction The circadian timing of sleep, including its variability, has emerged as an important contributor to obesity and cardiovascular health, such as elevated blood pressure. Adolescence is a particularly vulnerable period for circadian misalignment, which may express differently if youth are in school or on free-days. We examined whether deviations in sleep midpoint increase the impact of visceral adiposity on elevated blood pressure in adolescents as a function of being entrained to school or not. Methods We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Penn State Child Cohort follow-up study, a random population-based sample of 303 adolescents (16.2 ± 2.2 y; 47.5% female; 21.5% minority). Actigraphy-measured sleep midpoint was calculated as the midpoint (zeroed to midnight) of the sleep period for weekdays (5-nights) and weekends (2-nights). Actigraphy-measured sleep regularity was calculated as the intra-individual standard deviation of the 5-night weekdays sleep midpoint. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was measured via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure was measured three times in the seated position. Multivariable linear regression models were stratified by “in school” and “on break” to test sleep midpoint and sleep regularity as effect modifiers of VAT on SBP/DBP levels. Analyses were adjusted for sex, race/ethnicity, age, actigraphy-measured sleep duration and polysomnography-measured apnea/hypopnea index. Results When participants were studied while “in school”, significant interactions were found between VAT and weekdays sleep midpoint on SBP (p-interaction=0.027) and DBP (p-interaction=0.046), so that the later the sleep midpoint on school days, the greater the association of VAT with SBP/DBP. When participants were studied while “on break”, a significant interaction was found between VAT and weekdays sleep regularity on SBP (p-interaction=0.039), so that the higher the sleep irregularity on weekdays, the greater the association of VAT with SBP. No other significant interactions were found. Conclusion A delayed and an irregular sleep midpoint during school days and during breaks, respectively, best identified those adolescents with greater cardiovascular risk associated with visceral obesity. These data suggest that not only the circadian timing of sleep contributes to adverse cardiovascular outcomes but its distinct biomarkers require measurement under different entrainment conditions in adolescents. Support (If Any) National Institutes of Health (R01HL136587, UL1TR000127)

Introduction: The PedsBP Clinical Decision Support (CDS) is an electronic health record-linked tool developed in an urban health system that aims to improve the quality of blood pressure (BP) measurement and recognition of hypertension in children. Aims: To describe the feasibility of implementing the PedsBP tool for use in a rural health system, and to describe repeat BP measurement among patients 6-17 years with an incident hypertensive BP at high-intensity clinics using the PedsBP CDS. Methods: This is a 3-arm, parallel group, cluster randomized controlled pragmatic trial in 40 community-based primary care clinics in a rural Midwestern health system (Essentia Health). Clinics were randomized 1:1:1 to usual care, low-intensity implementation (PedsBP CDS only), or high-intensity implementation (Peds BP CDS plus in-person training, monitoring CDS use, and feedback). The PedsBP CDS includes an alert to re-measure a hypertensive BP at that visit, an alert that a hypertensive BP should be repeated in 1-3 weeks, and patient-specific order sets. Study outcomes include repeat BP measurement at an index visit and diagnosis of hypertension within 6 months of meeting clinical criteria. Safety outcomes include stroke, transient ischemic attack, acute renal failure, uncontrolled hypertension within 6 months of index visit. Results: Among 22,238 (50.9% female, mean age 11.7 years, SD=3.5 years) patients with visits between 8/1/22-1/31/23 at participating clinics, 4008 (18.0%) had an incident hypertensive BP and 239 (1.1%) met clinical criteria for hypertension. Among those who met clinical criteria for hypertension, there were no cases of uncontrolled hypertension or other safety outcomes. Of 7974 patients with encounters at 13 high-intensity clinics and with a BP measured, the initial BP was elevated for 1307 (16.4%) and remeasured in 628 (48.1%). Among 1265 patients at high-intensity clinics with a BP elevated and with body mass index (BMI) information, 482 (38.1%) were obese (BMI percentile ≥95%), 209 (16.5%) were overweight (BMI percentile 85% to &lt;95%), and 574 (45.4%) were not overweight or obese (BMI percentile &lt;85%). Conclusions: The PedsBP CDS is feasible to implement in a new health system and has the potential to improve the quality of pediatric BP care.