[Blood pressure with physical stress (ergometry) of 105 normotensive, borderline hypertensive and hypertensive children and adolescents].

Abstract

Hypertension is one of the principal risk factors for cardiovascular diseases; its roots go back to childhood. A load study such as ergometry can help to recognise which persons are at risk. Ergometric measurements were performed by us on 105 children and adolescents, 72 of whom had borderline hypertensive or hypertensive blood pressure levels. Of these, the blood pressure rose during stress in 14%, the proportionate share being independent of the physical activity of the subjects. However, among those whose hypertension was on a borderline level, there was a disproportionately large percentage of obese subjects. These showed in addition an increase in blood pressure with increasing load and a reduced physical performance range. Obesity and lack of physical mobility had an unfavourable influence on blood pressure. Unfortunately there are no standardised rules for assessing the blood pressure during stress in children and adolescents. This would be all the more desirable since this easy examination is of prognostic value for an early discovery of manifest hypertension.