The Association between Mid-Upper Arm Circumference and Blood Pressure in an Italian Population of School-Aged Children and Adolescents with Lipid Disorders

Abstract

Background: Many anthropometric measurements have been investigated concerning their association with blood pressure (BP) in paediatric age groups. This study aims to find a relationship between mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and BP in a population of children and adolescents aged 1–18 years. Methods: 5853 subjects (2977 females and 2876 males) were studied. MUAC, body mass index (BMI), and BP were measured. The individuals in the study were subdivided and grouped by gender and type of school attended in Italy: 1–5 years (pre-school), 6–10 years (primary school), 11–13 years (secondary school), 14–18 years (high school). Results: In the age range of 6–13 years, all the subjects with MUAC > 50th percentile had systolic and diastolic BP significantly higher than children with MUAC below 50th percentile (p < 0.0001). In the age range 14–18 years, the relationship persisted only in females (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05 for diastolic and systolic BP, respectively). A linear relationship was found between MUAC and BMI. Conclusions: In Italian children of both genders aged 6–13, arm distribution of body fat is strongly associated with increased systolic and diastolic BP. As such, a simple anthropometric measurement like MUAC might represent a tool to identify young subjects who are at risk for HTN.