[Evaluation of risk and protection factors associated with high blood pressure in children]. / Avaliação dos fatores de risco e proteção associados à elevação da pressão arterial em crianças.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have shown an increased prevalence of high blood pressure in pediatric patients. Today we know that risk factors can be detected during childhood and may help in preventing the disease. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate risk and protection factors related to high blood pressure in childhood. METHODS: We evaluated children aged 3 to 10 years, residing in the east and southwest sanitary districts of the City of Goiânia, Goiás, and obtained the following data: birth weight, breastfeeding, family history of high blood pressure and obesity, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure. We applied the Mann-Whitney U-test to these variables in order to compare pressure variation. RESULTS: In this sample, 519 children were evaluated, and 246 (47.4%) of them were male. The BMI assessment identified 109 (21%) overweight children, of which 53 (10.3%) were obese. Predominant and/or exclusive breastfeeding for less than 6 months was found in 242 (51.2%). The mean systolic pressure was significantly higher in children with exclusive and/or predominant breastfeeding for less than 6 months (p = 0.04), and in children with family history of high blood pressure (p = 0.05), and in overweight children (p <0.0001). These data were confirmed in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: In this sample, we observed that overweight and hereditary factors may be associated with elevated blood pressure, and that breastfeeding for more than 6 months seems to offer a protective effect.