Blood pressure values in healthy normal weight children and adolescents in eight European countries: auscultatory and oscillometric measurements

Aim: The aim of the study is to provide BP values adjusted for sex, age and height in a large sample of healthy and normal weight children and adolescents 3–17 years in eight European countries, using standardized BP measurement by oscillometric and auscultatory methods.

Subjects and Methods

In 38.374 children (20.189 girls) BP values were measured following the European Society of Hypertension guidelines. To derive BP percentiles the estimated influences of age and height simultaneously on BP levels were estimated.

Results

The estimated BP values corresponding to 90th, 95th, and 99th systolic and diastolic percentiles according to height percentiles, age and sex were calculated. In both methods, the 90th and 95th percentiles of systolic blood pressure, tended to increase with both age and height, higher in boys than in girls without differences in diastolic blood pressure. The study illustrates the differences in 95th Blood Pressure percentile obtained by oscillometric and auscultatory methods in both sexes at the 50th height percentile. The threshold corresponding to 95th percentile at age 13 is close to 130/80 mmHg in both sexes and measurement methods at median height and at age 17 it is around 140/90 mmHg for boys.

Conclusions

The progressive increment of blood pressure in children across age is largely influenced by height. In boys blood pressure values still increase after 13 years old, while in girls the BP increment after this age was lower. Differences in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure among the two used methods are minimal except in the oldest age group.