Abstract

Dr. Purushottam Pramanik*

ABSTRACT

Background: Elevated blood pressure (BP) during childhood is an established predictor of cardiovascular disease in adulthood. High blood pressure in childhood commonly leads to hypertension (HT) in adulthood. Thus early identification of risk factors for high blood pressure in children is essential. Objective: The aims of this study were to evaluate the role of upper body fat marker, neck circumference (NC) as an independent predictor of hypertension and to compare it with traditional indices like general and central obesity. Methods: The study was carried out in semi-urban school boys aged 10-14 years. General obesity was estimated from body mass index (BMI), central obesity from waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and upper body fat from neck circumference (NC) and neck to height ratio (NHtR). Body height, weight, waist circumference, neck circumference and blood pressure were measured. BMI, WHtR and NHtR were calculated. Percentile of NC and NHtR and prevalence of hypertension were determined. Results: Blood pressure was significantly correlated with BMI, WC, WHtR, NC and NHtR. Positive correlation was also noted between Upper body fat marker and general obesity and central obesity. Association between NC and hypertension is comparable with those observed for general and central obesity. Significant association was also noted between high upper body fat and hypertension. NC above 32cm and NHtR above 0.223 were the best values for identifying hypertension in adolescent boys. Conclusion: NC and NHtR, upper body fat markers are good predictor of childhood hypertension, a most important cardiovascular risk factor. Measurement of NC is simple and time saving and done more accurately in compare to measurement of WC. Thus upper body fat markers could be a simple surrogate anthropometrical screening tool of hypertensive risk of adolescent boys.