Contributory Risk Factors for Hypertension in Adolescent Offsprings of Hypertensive Fathers Aending a Terary Hospital in Lagos

Abstract

Background: Studies have shown hypertension and its complicaons to be important causes of hospital admission, morbidity and mortality. The young hypertensive paents are more predisposed to higher frequency of undetected hypertension. Male sex and family history of hypertension is a significant non-modifiable risk factor cardiovascular diseases especially hypertension. A genec influence and familial blood pressure paerns have been well established and are recognized in adolescents. Family studies have demonstrated that at least 20% to 40% of the blood pressure variance in the populaon are due to familial factors. Offsprings of hypertensives have higher blood pressure values that track in the upper percenles than their peers whose parents are normotensive. Parental history of hypertension is known to influence the blood pressure of offsprings. Contributory risk factors such as school stress, the use of caffeine containing drugs, tobacco smoking, excessive alcohol intake, obesity and sedentary lifestyle might contribute to the increase in prevalence of hypertension in adolescents.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine relaonship between blood pressure paern and contributory risk factors for hypertension among adolescents whose fathers were hypertensive.

Methods: The survey employed a descripve cross-seconal analycal study. The study subjects were adolescent offsprings of hypertensive fathers and the controls were adolescents offsprings of normotensive parents aending Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, Lagos. A modified WHO STEPS surveillance instruments quesonnaire was used to collect data.

Results: Among the adolescents whose fathers were hypertensives, 45.3% were current drinkers of coffee, and 76.7% were users of caffeine containing drugs while among the controls, 35.1% were drinkers of coffee and 52.8% were current users of caffeine containing drugs (P. value < 0.05). Among adolescents whose fathers were hypertensives, 5.4% were smokers; while non of the adolescents in controls were smoking (P. value < 0.05). Among adolescents of hypertensive fathers, 21.1% had a BMI of between 25.0 – 29.9kg/m2 while 16.4% of the controls had a BMI of between 25.0 – 29.9kg/m2. BMI of greater than 30.09kg/m2 was found only in 1.6% of controls (P. value < 0.05).

Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the use of caffeine drugs, alcohol, overweight and school stress were contributory risk factors idenfied to be associated with the development of hypertension in adolescents.