Even modest elevation of body weight associated with hypertension risk in young: JAMA

In their research finding, high normal body weight in children (60th to the 84th percentile of BMI) is associated with a greater risk of hypertension.

There needs to be more data and clarification on the high normal body mass index (BMI) association with obesity and the interaction with different trajectories of weight. Research evidence mentions the link between obesity to high blood pressure or hypertension in youths. The question here is, how body weight and changes over time are associated with hypertension risk in youths?

Considering this background, researchers examined this association and gave the following conclusion. The study findings are:

• More than 800 000 youths aged 3-17 years followed up for five years were assessed in the study.
• There is a plateau in the association between weight gain and hypertension risk.
• On Comparison with a baseline BMI for age in the 40th to 59th percentiles, aHR for hypertension was 1.26 between the 60th and 84th percentiles (If they keep their BMI appropriate for their age).
• With every 1-unit annual increase (distance to the median BMI for age), there was an increase in aHR by 1.04.
• The aHR was 4.94 with a baseline BMI for age in the 97th percentile or higher who maintained body weight.
• Weight gain increases the risk.
• The risk associated with a weight change was higher in those with low to high normal weight and overweight than in those with severe obesity.

Concluding further, they wrote a high normal body weight above the 60th percentile of BMI for age increased hypertension risk.

The study's strengths included EHR data, follow-up duration, systematic screening, information available for potential key confounders and covariates, and cohort study design.

The Limitations were the possibility of residual confounding and selection bias.

Further reading

Koebnick C et al. Association of High Normal Body Weight in Youths With Risk of Hypertension. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.1987