Small BMI change in overweight children could have big blood pressure impact

ScienceDaily (Oct. 15, 2010) — Small changes in weight can make bigger differences in the blood pressure for overweight children, compared to those at normal weight, according to a new study.

Researchers tracked blood pressure, height and weight of 1,113 children over time, with the longest follow-up exceeding 10 years. They then compared the children's body mass index (BMI, a measure of body weight) to national charts adjusted for age, sex and height. Kids with BMIs in the 85th percentile or higher are considered overweight.

"Below the 85th percentile, BMI effects on blood pressure appear to be fairly linear," said Wanzhu Tu, co-author of the study. "After the 85th, particularly after the 90th percentile, the BMI effect became noticeably stronger."

Analysis indicated the effect on systolic blood pressure of overweight boys' BMI percentile was 4.6 times that in normal-weight boys. Systolic blood pressure is a measure of the force of the blood pumped by the heart against the arteries when the heart is contracted. Findings were similar for diastolic pressure in boys, and both readings in girls. Diastolic blood pressure is a measure of the force of the blood against the arteries when the heart is relaxed and is the top number in a blood pressure reading.

In normal-weight children, BMI percentile and blood pressure remained related but the associations were weaker.

BMI and blood pressure studies typically don't separate normal-weight and overweight children, so findings tend to overestimate BMI's effect on blood pressure in normal-weight children but underestimate it in overweight kids, Tu said.

"Because our estimate of the BMI effect was much greater in overweight kids, the results suggest that even a modest reduction in BMI may produce a much greater benefit in blood pressure in overweight kids," Tu said. "Conversely, a small increase in BMI could put them at much greater risk of blood pressure elevation."

The paper was presented October 15 at the American Heart Association's High Blood Pressure Research 2010 Scientific Sessions (HBPR 2010) held in Washington, DC, USA.

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The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by American Heart Association, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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Smoking around your kindergartner could raise their blood pressure

ScienceDaily (Jan. 11, 2011) — If you smoke around your children, they could have high blood pressure or be headed in an unhealthy direction before learning their ABC's, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

The study is the first to show that breathing tobacco smoke increases the blood pressure of children as young as 4 or 5 years old.

"The prevention of adult diseases like stroke or heart attack begins during childhood," said Giacomo D. Simonetti, M.D., first author of the study at the University of Heidelberg in Germany and currently assistant professor of pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of the University of Berne in Switzerland. "Parental smoking is not only negative for children's lung function, but poses a risk for their future cardiovascular health."

In an extension of a standard school health exam, 4,236 kindergarten boys and girls (average age 5.7) in the German district that includes Heidelberg had their blood pressure measured. Of parents reporting they smoked, 28.5 percent were fathers, 20.7 percent mothers and 11.9 percent were both parents.

Children with a smoking parent were 21 percent more likely to have systolic blood pressure (the top number in a reading, measured as the heart contracts) in the highest 15 percent, even after adjusting for other heart disease risk factors, such as birth weight, body mass index, and hypertension in the parents.

"Passive smoking increased the risk of having blood pressure at the upper end of normal, and some of these children already had high blood pressure," Simonetti said.

After correcting for other risk factors -- having parents with high blood pressure, being born prematurely or at a low birth weight, being overweight or obese -- blood pressures were significantly higher in the children of smoking parents.

The impact was greater for systolic blood pressure (average increase 1.0 mm Hg) than diastolic blood pressure (average increase 0.5 mm Hg), the lower number in a reading measured when the heart rests between beats.

"Smoking adds to other risk factors," Simonetti said. "Average blood pressure increased in proportion to the cumulative number of risk factors present."

Smoking by mothers had a larger impact than fathers smoking, probably because more of their smoking was done in the home while fathers smoked more at their workplaces, researchers said.

Smoke exposure is likely to have a similar impact on blood pressure in children in the United States, the researchers said.

"Childhood blood pressure consistently tracks into adult life," Simonetti said. "Removing any avoidable risk factors as soon as possible will help reduce the risk for heart disease later on and improve the long-term health of children."

The study findings suggest that encouraging strictly smoke-free environments, specifically at home, may help preserve cardiovascular health not only in adults but also in children, researchers said.

Co-authors are: Rainer Schwertz, M.D.; Martin Klett, M.D.; Georg F. Hoffman, M.D.; Franz Schaefer, M.D.; and Elke Wühl, M.D. Author disclosures are on the manuscript.

The Manfred-Lautenschläger Stiftung, Reimann-Dubbers-Stiftung, Dietmar-Hopp-Stiftung and the Swiss Society of Hypertension AstraZeneca scholarship funded the study.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by American Heart Association.

Journal Reference:

Giacomo D. Simonetti, Rainer Schwertz, Martin Klett, Georg F. Hoffmann, Franz Schaefer, and Elke Wühl. Determinants of Blood Pressure in Preschool Children: The Role of Parental Smoking. Circulation, 2011; DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.958769

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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All-Natural High Blood Pressure Medications Could Make A Difference

Our heart, it is a muscle which is almost similar to the size of our fist, is among the hardest working of all our body organs. Over our life's course, it beats at more than two billion times completely without taking even a single break. Our daily choices in life determine our heart's ability to function properly.

High blood pressure could often lead to heart disease. A condition like this that isn't controlled properly or is undetected could lead to heart attack or failure, stroke, or kidney failure. It has few symptoms that occur early which many people are not aware of.

Add obesity, diabetes, or smoking to the mix of causes, the risk of stroke, heart attack, or kidney disease increases dramatically for those people with this medical condition. This is why it is important to know what how your blood's condition is, and at this point, you will need medications for this. There are many natural high blood pressure medications out there.

Are you over-weight? Even some little extra weight could raise blood pressure. Try to drop a few pounds to improve your health greatly. One more thing, exercise is very good for high blood pressure, but not too much.

Do you have lots of stress right now in your life? Try to avoid the sources of your stress. Then if that is not possible for you, go try other ways, at least for reducing it. Yoga, meditation, breathing or even having vacations are methods to lower your stress level. Make sure you're getting enough sleep too.

Vitamins and minerals, and herbs are also natural methods that you could use for reducing high blood pressure. These natural herbs are gaining recognition rapidly because of their great ability to lower High Blood Pressure without the risk of having different side-effects that ordinary or usual prescription medicines give our bodies.

Most of the doctors are really educated from medical schools that focus on products of the major pharmaceutical companies. Although it is great that these schools prepare them for curing of most sickness, thousands of them still complain because they are not educated about natural ways of curing sickness.

Natural and Herbal medicines are the best blood pressure medications to complement your proper diet and positive lifestyle. Aside from the fact that they are side-effects free, they are also chemical free, they are all-natural.

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Blood Pressure Lowering Strategies That Could Save Your Life!

Hypertension is not in itself a disease, and is referred to as the 'silent killer' as it rarely produces any symptoms. But, over time, it causes excessive force on your artery walls and can seriously compromise many of your body's vital organs - and can even be fatal.

In about 90% of cases the cause of hypertension is unknown. This is referred to as 'primary' or 'essential' hypertension. Some risk factors that contribute to high blood pressure - like family history - are outside your control, but others you can effectively reduce or eliminate by following these proven tips:

1. lose any excess weight. Being overweight means that the amount of blood circulating through your blood vessels increases, creating extra force on your artery walls. Losing as little as 4kg has been shown to bring blood pressure readings down to normal in some cases.

2. Make exercise a part of your everyday routine - walking for just 30 minutes four or five days of the week can significantly lower your blood pressure. However, it is important that you don't begin a strenuous aerobic exercise regime; instead, start slowly with something you enjoy like swimming or golf, and only with your doctor's prior approval and advice.

3. Eliminate or reduce smoking and drinking. Reducing the amount of alcohol you drink can lower your systolic pressure (when your heart contracts like a pump) by up to 5 points and your diastolic pressure (when your heart delates and refills with blood) by about 3 points. The chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of your artery walls, increasing the risk of cholesterol deposits; and nicotine also constricts your blood vessels and forces your heart to work harder.

4. manage stress - as high levels can cause a dramatic increase in blood pressure. You can help avoid stress by getting ample sleep, saying no to extra tasks and staying calm and patient. Specific relaxation techniques such as massage, yoga, and meditation can be beneficial for reducing stress.

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Proposed drug development center could help find cures

NIH-backed new center would focus on rare diseases and those in developing countries Below: x Jump to discussion comments below discussion x Next story in More health news Opinion: Dialysis program is costly in too many ways related Advertise

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