Physical Activity and Blood Pressure in Childhood

	Tweet

The pathological processes associated with development of cardiovascular disease begin early in life. For example, elevated blood pressure (BP) can be seen in childhood and tracks into adulthood. The relationship between physical activity (PA) and BP in adults is well-established, but findings in children have been inconsistent, with few studies measuring PA mechanically.

Children aged 11 to 12 years were recruited from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. 5505 had systolic and diastolic BP measurements, plus valid (at least 10 hours for at least 3 days) accelerometer measures of PA; total PA recorded as average counts per minute (cpm) over the period of valid recording, and minutes per day spent in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA).

Data on a number of possible confounders were also available. Small inverse associations were observed; for systolic BP, β=–0.44 (95% confidence interval –0.59, –0.28) mm Hg per 100 cpm, and β=–0.66 (95% CI –0.92, –0.39) mm Hg per 15 minutes/d MVPA, adjusting for child’s age and gender. After adjustment for potential confounders, associations were weakened but remained. When PA variables were modeled together, associations with total PA were only a little weaker, whereas those with MVPA were substantially reduced; for systolic BP, β=–0.42 (95% CI –0.71, –0.13) mm Hg per 100 cpm, and β=–0.03 (95% CI –0.54, 0.48) mm Hg per 15 minutes/d MVPA. In conclusion, higher levels of PA were associated with lower BP, and results suggested that the volume of activity may be more important than the intensity.

Key Words: blood pressure • physical activity • children • epidemiology • ALSPAC

Sam D. Leary; Andy R. Ness; George Davey Smith; Calum Mattocks; Kevin Deere; Steven N. Blair; Chris Riddoch

From the Departments of Oral and Dental Science (S.D.L., A.R.N.) and Social Medicine (G.D.S., C.M., K.D.), University of Bristol, UK; the Arnold School of Public Health (S.N.B.), University of South Carolina; and Sport and Exercise Science, School for Health (C.R.), University of Bath, UK.

Correspondence to Dr S. Leary, Department of Oral and Dental Science, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ UK. E-mail

(Hypertension. 2008;51:92.)
2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

Published online before print December 10, 2007, doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.107.099051

RELATED STORIES:
Simple procedure lowers blood pressure in kidney disease patients   WHO warns of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity   Causes of hypertension start early, doctor warns   Additional blood pressure screening may reduce incidence of CVD events and death by up to 3 percent   Changes in Gene Expression May Help Explain High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy   Swapping protein for sugar may help blood pressure   Drinking black tea may cut blood pressure   Middle-aged men with upper-normal blood pressure at risk for AF   Pollution tied to disease risk in L.A. black women   Birth Defects May be Linked to High Blood Pressure, Not Use of ACE Inhibitors   Poor sleep quality increases risk of high blood pressure   Pilot study suggests new approach to treat preeclampsia

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]