Abstract
Background
The Irish childhood obesity epidemic, one of the highest ranking internationally, represents a major threat to public health. We sought to perform a retrospective observational study of a clinic based cohort of obese Irish children.
Methods
Clinical data relating to gender, age, height, weight, body mass index and blood pressure were analysed, from 206 children referred to a paediatric endocrine referral centre over a 15-year period for assessment of obesity.
Results
Younger patients tended to have a higher standardised body mass index at initial presentation; 92% of boys and 96% of girls referred were obese (age-related BMI ≥ 95th percentile). Boys (51%) and girls (49%) had initial blood pressure measurements in the hypertensive range. There was a correlation between the degree of obesity and systolic blood pressure, particularly in boys.
Conclusions
Obese Irish children present with significant long-term health risks, including hypertension at baseline.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Obesity—The policy challenges (2005) The report of the National Taskforce on Obesity: Department of Health and Children, Dublin, Ireland
Lissau I, Overpeck MD, Ruan WJ et al (2004) Body mass index and overweight in adolescents in 13 European countries, Israel, and the United States. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 158:27–33. doi:10.1001/archpedi.158.1.27
Finucane FM, Teong L, Pittock S et al (2008) Adverse metabolic profiles in a cohort of obese Irish children. Ann Clin Biochem 45:206–209. doi:10.1258/acb.2007.007115
Sorof J, Daniels S (2002) Obesity hypertension in children: a problem of epidemic proportions. Hypertension 40:441–447. doi:10.1161/01.HYP.0000032940.33466.12
An SAS Program for the CDC Growth Charts. URL: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/growthcharts/sas.htm. Accessed 18 Dec 2007
NHBPEP (2004) The fourth report on the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure in children and adolescents. Pediatrics 114:555–576. doi:10.1452/peds.114.2.S2.555
Sorof JM, Poffenbarger T, Franco K, Bernard L, Portman RJ (2002) Isolated systolic hypertension, obesity, and hyperkinetic hemodynamic states in children. J Pediatr 140:660–666. doi:10.1067/mpd.2002.125228
Paradis G, Lambert M, O’Loughlin J et al (2004) Blood pressure and adiposity in children and adolescents. Circulation 110:1832–1838. doi:10.1161/01.CIR.0000143100.31752.B7
Sorof JM, Lai D, Turner J, Poffenbarger T, Portman RJ (2004) Overweight, ethnicity, and the prevalence of hypertension in school-aged children. Pediatrics 113:475–482. doi:10.1542/peds.113.3.475
Baker JL, Olsen LW, Sorensen TI (2007) Childhood body-mass index and the risk of coronary heart disease in adulthood. N Engl J Med 357:2329–2337. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa072515
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Finucane, F.M., Pittock, S., Fallon, M. et al. Elevated blood pressure in overweight and obese Irish children. Ir J Med Sci 177, 379–381 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-008-0228-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-008-0228-x