DIET AND BLOOD-PRESSURE IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Identifying dietary factors associated with blood pressure (BP) in chi ldren and adolescents would help guide recommendations for prevention of elevated BP, which is a major public health problem. This paper rev iews 46 reports of studies examining relationships between dietary nut rients and BP in children and adolescents, many of which studied more than one nutrient. Sodium is the most extensively studied nutrient, wi th 25 observational and 12 intervention studies identified. Although m any studies suffer from methodological problems, the results suggest t hat higher sodium intake is related to higher BP in children and adole scents. The results of 13 observational and 2 intervention studies of potassium and BP do not provide a clear picture of a relationship. The results of 8 observational and 1 intervention study of calcium and BP are inconclusive. Five observational studies of magnesium and BP prov ide evidence of an inverse relationship, but no intervention studies w ere identified. Nine studies of macronutrients and food groups or diet ary patterns are inconclusive. Additional research is needed to provid e more information about the relationships between dietary nutrients a nd BP in children and adolescents. Recommendations are provided for me thodological features of additional research on diet and BP in childre n and adolescents.