Evaluation of blood pressures measured at the clinic and during exercise test in children

Abstract

Objective: In pre-participation examinations, an exercise test is required in addition to normal examination to evaluate cardiorespiratory functions and ensure safety during exercise if complaints related to effort or risk factors in the patient’s personal and/or family history are observed. This study aimed to examine the blood pressure (BP) findings in clinical and exercise tests of children athletes who applied to our outpatient clinic. Material and Methods: The histories, physical examinations, BP values, electrocardiography and echocardiography findings, and exercise test data of the patients who applied to our polyclinic between October 1, 2018, and September 30, 2019, for pre-participation examinations have been evaluated retrospectively. Results: The study group consisted of 14 females and 36 males whose mean ages were 12.76±2.27 years and mean body mass index was 20.62±3.47. The electrocardiograms were normal. No cardiac dysfunctions were observed in echocardiographies. In exercise tests, the mean endurance time was 9.96±2.12 min, the maximum heart rate was 174.4±17.9/min, the maximum systolic BP was 169.34±28.52 mmHg, and the maximum diastolic BP was 86.82±20.21 mmHg. The BP of 16% of cases was above 200 mmHg. Conclusion: In our study, exercise-induced hypertension was detected in some cases. The follow-up of these cases is important to determine future cardiovascular risks.