Prevalence of hypertension in 9-17 years old schoolchildren in Iranian population

  Introduction: Nowadays hypertension is the most important risk factor of coronary, cerebral and renal vessel diseases. As an asymptomatic disease it is called “the silent killer” and the patients refer to physicians when the disease is progressed and irreversible. The aim of this study was to consider the prevalence hypertension in school children (9-17 years old) of Semnan, Iran.   Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional study, a single stage cluster sampling was performed, and subjects ( 2125, 9-17 years old) were selected from three boys and three girls schools of Semnan city. Body weight, height and blood pressure were measured using standard procedures.   Results: Prevalence of hypertension in girls and boys was between 4.4% to 9.6% and 3% to 8.2%, respectively. No significant differences were found between two sexes. Blood pressure of girls was higher than boys in all ages, except in age of 15. Most subjects had mild hypertension and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were increased with age in both sexes. The highest prevalence of hypertension in girls (6.9%) and boys (2.8%) were found in ages of 17 and 15, respectively. The lowest prevalence of hypertension in both girls (4.4%) and boys (3%) were observed in age of 9.   Conclusion: Systemic hypertension is a major concern among schoolchildren of Semnan. Considering of severe complications of chronic hypertension, understanding the underlying causes and using an appropriate methods for treatment and prevention of hypertension are essential. Additionally, using suitable training programs and changing nutritional habits can be effective in reducing high blood pressure.