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Franco Rabbia, Giannina Leotta, Adriana Bobbio, Alberto Milan, Renata Carra, Sara Del Colle, Mimma Caserta, Andrea Conterno, Chiara Calvo, Mirko Tredici, Tiziana Grosso, Franco Veglio, P-486: Evaluation of blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors from childhood to adulthood: the ten years later project: , American Journal of Hypertension, Volume 16, Issue S1, May 2003, Page 214A, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0895-7061(03)00658-7
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Abstract
Tracking is defined as the persistence over time of rank for a variable in an individual relative to peers. The concept of tracking has also been used in the sense of predicting future values of a variable from early measurements.
The purpose of the study was to quantify and to evaluate the factors that may influence the tracking of BP in order to identify better predictors of higher BP in adult life.
BP, HR, height, weight BMI, physical activity, smoking habits, family background of cardiovascular diseases, serum glicemia and cholesterol were evaluated respectively in adolescence (age range 13–15 ys.) and ten ys later (age range 13–15)in a prospective community based study conducted on 251 subjects. Moroever, the frequency of BP measurement was determined. BP values were converted in sex-age specific Zscores and then tertiles calculated in order to evaluate tracking. We compared a group of subjects persistently in the higher tertile (high trackers), a group persistently in the lower tertile (low trackers), a group of travellers from the lowest to the higher tertile (detrackers), and a control group including the remainders.
Only 10% of the examined have never had their BP measured before during adolescence, ten ys later 26 % never measured BP since then and 38% measured,only occasionally, once. Percentage of smokers was 1% during first examination,35% ten ys. later. the prevanece of High blood pressure was 8% in adolescence and 12% in adult age. Tracking coefficient was 0.38 (p<0.001) for SBP,and 0.31 (p<0.001) for DBP. BP vaues were significantly correlated to pulse rate, height, weight at both examinations. Persistence in the high tertile was seen in 47% of examined. The high trackers were persistently heavier, sedentary, had an increased waist/hip ratio and had a more significant family history of cardiovascular diseases than the lower trackers and control group. At the same time those who travelled from the lower to the highest tertile showed a pattern quite similar to the high trackers at second observation. Moreover, the smokers were more represented in the high trackers.
Tracking at different BP levels is associated to weight gain in adolescence, family background for hypertension and higher pulse rate.
