Racial differences in young children's blood pressure. Responses to dynamic exercise
F. A. Treiber, L. Musante, W. B. Strong and M. Levy
Department of Pediatrics, Georgia Prevention Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912-3770.
Studies have observed that black children exhibit greater blood pressure
increases in response to dynamic exercise than white children. Seventy-five
(51 white, 24 black) children aged 4 to 6 years old had their blood
pressure and heart rate measured before, during, and 5 minutes after
dynamic upright exercise on the treadmill. Girls had higher preexercise
heart rate values than the boys, and showed a marginally slower recovery of
diastolic blood pressure values. Black children had significantly lower
preexercise and peak exercise heart rate values, higher systolic blood
pressure values at peak exercise, and greater systolic blood pressure
increases in response to exercise than did white children. These
differences are discussed in terms of mechanisms that may be responsible
for racial differences in essential hypertension.
