Stress Response Characteristics of Adolescents with High Genetic Risk for Essential Hypertension a five year Follow-UP

A group of 80 adolescents identified with blood pressure in the borderline range (90th to 95th percentile) have a follow-up period of up to five years. Within this follow-up period 54 or 67% have progressed to a stage of sustained essential hypertension (BP > 95th percentile). Characteristics of this population with a very high progression rate to EH are: 1) Identification of borderline hypertension in adolescence. 2) Uniformly strong family history of EH and 3) A high cardiovascular response to mental stress.