Description

Blood pressure (BP) is the force exerted by the blood against any unit area of the vessel wall. In children and adolescents, the normal range of blood pressure (BP) is determined by body size and age. BP standards that are based on gender, age, and height provide a more precise classification of BP according to body size. Studies investigating blood pressure levels in children have revealed wide variation in distribution of systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as in the timing of spurt in mean blood pressure levels. Current guidelines define childhood hypertension as persistence of elevation of blood pressure above 95th percentile for age, gender and height. Our aim of the present study is to study the blood pressure levels in apparently healthy school children, to determine the prevalence and correlation of high blood pressure levels among children with different nutritional status and to evaluate the strength of the relationship between blood pressure and various anthropometric indicators.