Sexual maturation (SM) is associated with fatness and affects blood pressure (BP) in girls, but little is known about these relationships in boys. To examine the effects of SM on BP and fatness among boys, 1319 American boys (aged 9-15) surveyed in NHANES III with completed data on systolic BP (SBP), BMI (=weight/height2) and maturation (genitalia stages (GS)) were studied. Based on GS and chronological age, each subject was classified as early maturer (who reached a certain GS earlier than the median age for that stage) or other. GS median ages were calculated using the status quo method. Our linear regression analysis suggests early maturers and boys at higher GS had a lower BMI (P<0.01). GS helped predict SBP even after controlling for age, height, BMI and race (b=0.62±0.30; P=0.04), but only explained a small part of the variation. BMI was a strong predictor of SBP (b=0.69±0.06; p=0.0001) and its effect did not vary by GS. Early maturation became insignificant after adjusting for height and other covariates. Further, overweight (BMI³sex-age-specific 85th percentile from NHANES I data) was a strong risk factor for hypertension (OR=5.5(2.4, 14.4)), but SM was not. In conclusion, fatness is a strong predictor of increased BP in boys but maturation status is not.
Learning Objectives: Participants will learn: 1) how to assess boys' maturation status, classify early and late maturers, and identify overweight children; 2) the relationship between sexual maturation and blood pressure in boys; 3) the effect of body fatness (overweight/obesity) on blood pressure; 4) whether the effect of fatness on blood pressure differs or not in early and later maturers
Keywords: Child/Adolescent, Obesity
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.