Objective: To investigate blood pressure (BP) in relation to changes in body mass index (BMI) in obese children during weight loss and subsequent weight regain.
Design: A longitudinal study of obese boys and girls investigated through a 12-week weight loss intervention with follow-up investigations spanning 28 months. Results shown are from baseline; day 14, 33, and 82 during weight loss; and at months 10, 16 and 28 during follow-up.
Patients: One hundred and fifteen obese children, 53 boys and 62 girls (8-15 years) with a median BMI standard deviation score (SDS) at baseline of 2.78 in boys, and 2.70 in girls. Ninety children completed the weight loss programme and 68 children entered the follow-up programme.
Methods: Height, weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic BP (DBP) were recorded and analysed using a general linear mixed model.
Results: Fifty-one percent of the obese children were pre or hypertensive at baseline. Both DBP and SBP declined significantly with weight loss, but a divergent response was found in the timing of the rebound in hypertension during the weight regain phase, that is DBP increased during weight regain, whereas SBP remained lower than baseline during 28 months of continuous weight regain.
Conclusion: The effect of weight reduction upon obesity-associated hypertension is noticeable and suggests the importance of an intensified childhood obesity treatment strategy in order to reduce the burden of future cardiovascular disease.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00928473.