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The triglycerides and glucose index is associated with elevated blood pressure in apparently healthy children and adolescents

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Abstract

Prevalence of elevated blood pressure in pediatric population has been increasing worldwide. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine whether the triglycerides and glucose (TyG) index is associated with the presence of prehypertension or hypertension in children and adolescents. Apparently healthy children aged 6 to 15 years were enrolled in a population-based cross-sectional study. Participants were allocated into groups with normal blood pressure (NBP), prehypertension, and hypertension. Smoking, alcohol intake, pregnancy, previous diagnosis of diabetes, kidney, hepatic, or endocrine diseases were exclusion criteria. NBP was defined by systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure < 90th percentile, prehypertension by systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90th < 95th percentile, and hypertension by systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 95th percentile, according to age, sex, and height percentiles. A total of 3589 children were enrolled, 1748 (49%) girls and 1841 (51%) boys, and allocated into groups with NBP (n = 2874), prehypertension (n = 271), and hypertension (n = 444). The multiple logistic regression analysis stratified by age and adjusted by the Z-score/SDS of body mass index and waist circumference showed that elevated TyG index was significantly associated with prehypertension (OR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.08–2.05) and hypertension (OR = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.26–2.11).

Conclusion: The results of the present study shows that the elevated TyG index is significantly associated with the presence of prehypertension and hypertension in children and adolescents.

What is Known:

• Prevalence of elevated blood pressure in children and adolescents has been increasing worldwide.

• Insulin resistance plays a key role in the pathogenesis of hypertension.

What is New:

• The elevated TyG index is significantly associated with the presence of prehypertension in children aged 6–9 years and adolescents aged 10–15 years.

• The elevated TyG index is significantly associated with the presence of hypertension in children aged 6–9 years and adolescents aged 10–15 years.

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Abbreviations

TyG:

triglycerides and glucose

NBP:

normal blood pressure

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Funding

No financial assistance was received in support of this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unidad de Investigación Biomédica, Delegación Durango, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Canoas 100, Col. Los Angeles, 34067, Durango, Mexico

    Luis E. Simental-Mendía, Gabriela Hernández-Ronquillo, Claudia I. Gamboa-Gómez, Martha Rodríguez-Morán & Fernando Guerrero-Romero

  2. Unidad de Investigación Médica en Epidemiología Clínica, UMAE Hospital de Especialidades del CMN Siglo XXI del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico

    Rita Gómez-Díaz

Authors
  1. Luis E. Simental-Mendía
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  2. Gabriela Hernández-Ronquillo
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  3. Claudia I. Gamboa-Gómez
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  4. Rita Gómez-Díaz
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  5. Martha Rodríguez-Morán
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  6. Fernando Guerrero-Romero
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Contributions

Luis E. Simental-Mendía conceptualized and designed the study, drafted the initial manuscript, and approved the final version as submitted. Gabriela Hernández-Ronquillo contributed to conception, critically reviewed the manuscript, and approved the final version as submitted. Claudia I. Gamboa-Gómez contributed to conception, critically reviewed the manuscript, and approved the final version as submitted. Rita Gómez-Díaz contributed to conception, critically reviewed the manuscript, and approved the final version as submitted. Martha Rodríguez-Morán contributed to conception, critically reviewed the manuscript, and approved the final version as submitted. Fernando Guerrero-Romero contributed to conception and study design, drafted the manuscript, critically revised the manuscript, and gave final approval.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fernando Guerrero-Romero.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Informed consent

The written informed consent from at least one of each participant’s parents and the informed assent from the participants were obtained.

Additional information

Communicated by Peter de Winter

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Simental-Mendía, L.E., Hernández-Ronquillo, G., Gamboa-Gómez, C.I. et al. The triglycerides and glucose index is associated with elevated blood pressure in apparently healthy children and adolescents. Eur J Pediatr 178, 1069–1074 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-019-03392-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-019-03392-x

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