The prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular risks in children with renal scars secondary to urinary tract infection

Hypertension is a late outcome of refl ux nephropathy and renal parenchymal scar secondary to urinary tract infection (UTI). We presumed that it might be detected much earlier after episodes of UTI and the associated cardiovascular risk factors assessed. Between 2009 and 2011, 85 (67 female and 18 male) children aged 5-15 years with a history of febrile UTI, followed-up for at least one year from the fi rst episode of febrile UTI, were enrolled in the study. The variables included 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), echocardiography, carotid sonography, renal 99mcTc-DMSA, glomerular fi ltration rate, and microalbuminuria. Masked hypertension was detected in 18.8%, hypertension in 7.1% and white coat hypertension in 9.4% of cases. Prehypertension was seen in 20% of children. Out of 85 cases, 43.5% were non-dippers. Out of 56 children with hypertensive and prehypertensive parameters on ABPM, 9.1% showed left ventricular mass index >51g/m2.7 (p>0.05). Signifi cant correlation was only recorded between abnormal blood pressure and the severity of renal parenchymal scar (p<0.05). In conclusion, ABPM is suggested for early detection of masked hypertension and abnormal blood pressure pattern in all normotensive children with a history of recurrent UTI.

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