La hipertensión arterial y sus secuelas cardiovasculares en niños con obesidad.

Abstract

Introduction: Hypertension in pediatrics is a generally asymptomatic and underdiagnosed pathology due to the lack of its registration and due to the lack of continuity of study in altered isolated arterial pressures. Childhood obesity is a public health problem that affects both developing and developed countries. The prevalence of obesity in children 2 to 5 years of age has doubled and in children 6 to 19 years of age it has tripled since 1980. All guidelines acknowledge and regret the lack of robust evidence for recommendations on the diagnosis and management of pediatric hypertension. Methods: An observational, prospective, cross-sectional and analytical research was carried out in patients aged 5 to 16 years with overweight or obesity treated in the Nutrition outpatient area during the period from August 2020 to October 2021. Results: They were found 63 patients, 35% reported stage I hypertension, 58.7% of the patients met the criteria for Metabolic Syndrome. Obesity as a risk factor for metabolic syndrome obtained an odds ratio of 3.66 (p = 0.05), while arterial hypertension as a risk factor for thickening of the carotid intima media, resulting in an odds ratio of 1.16 (p = 0.8 ). Conclusions: Both arterial hypertension and metabolic syndrome are frequent pathologies in overweight or obese patients. Obesity is a risk factor for the development of metabolic syndrome.