Epidemiology/Health Services Research

Arterial Hypertension Determined by Ambulatory Blood Pressure Profiles
Contribution to microalbuminuria risk in a multicenter investigation in 2,105 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes
Axel Dost, MD1,2, Christoph Klinkert, MD3, Thomas Kapellen, MD4, Andreas Lemmer, MD5, Andrea Naeke, MD6, Matthias Grabert, PHD7, Joachim Kreuder, MD2, Reinhard W. Holl, MD7 for the DPV Science Initiative

1 Department of Pediatrics, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Jena, Germany
2 Department of Pediatrics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
3 Pediatric Practice, Herford, Germany
4 Department of Pediatrics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
5 Helios Children's Hospital, Erfurt, Germany
6 Department of Pediatrics, University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
7 Department of Epidemiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Axel Dost, Department of Pediatrics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Kochstrasse 2, D-07740 Jena, Germany. E-mail: axel.dost@med.uni-jena.de

OBJECTIVE—Arterial hypertension is a key player in the development of diabetes complications. We used a nationwide database to study risk factors for abnormal 24-h blood pressure regulation and microalbuminuria in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed in 2,105 children and adolescents from 195 pediatric diabetes centers in Germany and Austria. Individual least median squares (LMS)-SD scores were calculated for diurnal and nocturnal systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), and mean arterial (MAP) blood pressure according to normalized values of a reference population of 949 healthy German children. The nocturnal blood pressure reduction (dipping) was calculated for SBP as well as DBP.

RESULTS—In diabetic children, nocturnal blood pressure in particular was significantly elevated (SBP +0.51, DBP +0.58, MAP +0.80 LMS-SD) and dipping of SBP DBP, and MAP was significantly reduced (P < 0.0001). Age, diabetes duration, sex BMI, A1C, and insulin dose were related to altered blood pressure profiles; dipping, however, was only affected by age, female sex, and A1C. The presence of microalbuminuria was associated with nocturnal DBP (P < 0.0001) and diastolic dipping (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS—Our observations revealed a clear link between the quality of metabolic control and altered blood pressure regulation even in pediatric patients with short diabetes duration. Nocturnal blood pressure in particular seems to mainly contribute to diabetes complications such as microalbuminuria.

Abbreviations: ABPM, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring • DBP, diastolic blood pressure • LMS, least median squares • MAP, mean arterial pressure • SBP, systolic blood pressure • SDS, SD score