BODY-COMPOSITION AND BLOOD PRESSURES IN SCHOOL-CHILDREN 6-14 YEARS OFAGE

The relationship between parameters of estimated body composition (FFM = fat free mass, FM = fat mass, %F = percentage fat) and blood pressu re was examined in a sample of 1418 school-children (712 males, 706 fe males), 6-14 years of age from L'Aquila and its province (Abruzzo), It aly. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures increased from 6-14 years in both sexes (males: systolic pressure 93.08 +/- 14.95 to 122.29 +/- 13.27 mm Hg; diastolic pressure: 59.60 +/- 11.60 to 74.83 +/- 8.35 mm Hg; females: systolic pressure: 97.12 +/- 13.16 to 120.56 +/- 8.02 mm Hg; diastolic pressure: 61.93 +/- 10.23 to 76.67 +/- 4.85 mm Hg). FFM and FM, estimated by anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance, exhibi ted similar growth trends (Anthropometry: in males, FFM: 20.55-47.20 k g and FM: 4.14-12.01 kg; in females, FFM: 19.95-41.90 kg and FM: 5.03- 15.84 kg; Impedance: in males, FFM: 18.40-47.30 kg and FM: 6.26-11.91 kg; in females, FFM: 17.47-36.97 kg and FM: 7.61-20.77 kg). Correlatio ns between body composition parameters and blood pressures were genera lly significant. In particular, there was a strong relationship betwee n systolic blood pressure and both FM and %F, the correlations being h igher when the body composition parameters were estimated by anthropom etry. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.