Prevalence and determinants of hypertension in apparently healthy schoolchildren in India: A multi-center study
Survey: 2 in every 10 schoolkids suffer from hypertension
Two in every 10 schoolchildren suffer from hypertension, revealed a survey conducted in Haryana, Goa, Gujarat and Manipur.
The study shows hypertension in children is mild in most cases and can be corrected with lifestyle modifications like regular exercise, reduced intake of salty food and weight correction in case of obese kids. However, without intervention, the condition may worsen with age and cause diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
The survey was conducted among 14,957 students of primary and senior secondary schools in the four states. Blood pressure levels of 120/80,125/85 and 135/90 mm of mercury were taken as cut-off for children of ages 5,10 and 15 respectively — as suggested in another survey published in the journal Paediatrics by AIIMS in 2016.
Dr Anita Saxena, corresponding author of the study published recently in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, said 23% children had very high blood pressure.
High blood pressure was most common among students in Manipur (29%) followed by Haryana (26.5%), Gujarat (15%) and Goa (10%). The variation in prevalence among children screened in different geographical locations could be due to the local diet, especially salt intake, as well as other environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and exercise habit, the authors said.
“The prevalence was higher in two northern sites with lower ambient temperature, while the two sites with lower prevalence were closer to the ocean, where higher humidity could cause increased perspiration and hence salt and water loss from the body,” the doctor said, adding that ethnic variation and genetic factors could also be important in influencing prevalence.
Dr Saxena stressed on the need to screen students for high blood pressure in schools to help early intervention. “School health programmes should include checking of blood pressure. Those on the higher end should be referred to specialists,” said the professor and head of paediatric cardiology at AIIMS.
Study Published at | https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2047487318790056
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