Abstract
General screening for high blood pressure in asymptomatic adolescents remains controversial. A reasonable strategy is to screen those who are high risk. The present study aimed to identify optimal body mass index (BMI) thresholds as a marker for high‐risk youth to predict hypertension prevalence. In a cross‐sectional study, adolescents aged 12‐17 years (n=139,073) enrolled in an integrated prepaid health plan in 2007‐2009 were classified according to their BMI and hypertension status. BMI and blood pressure were obtained from electronic medical records. In overweight, and moderately and extremely obese adolescents, the prevalence of hypertension was 2.1%, 4.1% and 9.6%, respectively, compared to 0.8% in normal weight adolescents. The prevalence ratios (95% CIs) of hypertension adjusted for age, sex, and race/ethnicity for normal weight, overweight, moderate obesity and extreme obesity were 1.00 (Reference), 2.68 (2.39‐3.00), 5.29(4.76‐5.87), and 12.44 (11.27‐13.74), respectively. The prevalence of hypertension was best predicted by a BMI‐for‐age 蠅94th percentile. Our results suggest that a rational approach to screening might be to target overweight and obese adolescents.Grant Funding Source: Supported by NIH‐NIDDK
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