Hypertension in High School Students

Hypertension and obesity in the young population are major risk factors for renal and cardiovascular events, which could arise in adulthood. A candidate-gene approach will be applied in a cohort observational study, in which investigators will collect data from high school adolescent students. Participants underwent anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, as well as saliva and urine sample collection for genomic DNA extraction and renal function evaluation, respectively. Candidate genes previously implicated in salt-sensitive hypertension in adults will be tested to verify impact on blood pressure (BP) also among adolescents. Since inflammatory mechanisms may be involved in pathophysiology of hypertension and in endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis through reactive oxygen species, the baseline urinary excretion of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in a subgroup of adolescents stratified according to ADD1 (alpha adducin) rs4961 genotypes will be assessed.