From the prehypertensive adolescent to the hypertensive adult. Is possible to predict the conversion?

• Published in: Archivos de cardiología de México Vol. 82; no. 2; pp. 112 - 119
• Main Authors: Pérez-Fernández, Guillermo Alberto, Grau-Abalo, Ricardo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Mexico 01-04-2012
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Factors; Child; Disease Progression; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Hypertension - epidemiology; Hypertension - etiology; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Prehypertension - complications; Prognosis; Risk Assessment; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1405-9940

There are many risk factors for developing hypertension. In the XXI century, smarter ways to investigate are needed, so preventing the turning of an adolescent into a hypertensive adult must be a priority.
The aim of this paper is to predict the risk of hypertension onset in adulthood, from cardiovascular tension and risk stratification since adolescence.
A representative sample of 125 adolescents from the project "Pesquisaje Escolar en la Adolescencia de Hipertensión Arterial" (PESESCAD-HTA) was studied. They were diagnosed with prehypertension in 2001, and were followed for eight years (96 months) until January 2009.
Two predictive indexes were obtained. The first, based on the total cardiovascular risk and the second from the multiplication of these risks with an accuracy index for each of 61.6% and 70.4%, respectively.
The index based on the multiplication of cardiovascular risk can predict, with adequate accuracy, the turning of a prehypertensive adolescent into hypertensive once he/she reaches adulthood.