Journal
JOURNAL OF HUMAN HYPERTENSION
Volume 16, Issue 7, Pages 473-478Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/sj.jhh.1001424
Keywords
blood pressure; child; urinary electrolytes
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Despite the importance of hypertension in adults, its effects on child health are poorly understood. This cross-sectional epidemiological study was designed to look for a relationship between elevated blood pressure (BP) in children and 24-h urinary excretion of sodium (Na) and potassium (K), and between BP and dietary salt intake. The study population was all 59 856 schoolchildren aged 6 to 14 years in the province of Almeria in southern Spain, among whom 613 participants were chosen randomly for study. We measured 24-h urinary Na and K concentrations, systolic and diastolic BP, body weight and height. There was a weak correlation between Na excretion and systolic BP (r=0.18, 95% confidence interval 0.10-0.26), and between K excretion and systolic BP (r=0.49, 95% CI=0.04-0.20). Body weight was the variable that best correlated with systolic (r= 0.49, 95% Cl = 0.43-0.55) and diastolic BP, and with Na excretion (r= 0.48, 95% Cl = 0.42-0.55). Multiple regression analysis also showed that body weight was the variable that best correlated with systolic BP (b = 0.58), although the variables in the equation explained little of the total variability in BP (26%). These correlations were significant at P < 0.05. In conclusion urinary electrolytes correlated poorly with BP in a sample of Spanish schoolchildren. Body weight was the only variable that showed a weak relationship with BP and Na excretion.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available