Changes of Heart Rate, Blood Pressure and Anthropometric Measurements with Age during Childhood

Heart rate, blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were examined every 3 years, from 6 to 15 yrs, in 1221 children. Heart rate gradually decreased with age (r=-0.47 in boys, and -0.26 in girls), and was negatively correlated with height, body weight and lean body weight. Our data showed significantly positive correlation between heart rate and blood pressure in girls, whereas in boys the positive correlation disappered at the pubertal period because of the influence of sex maturation. High BP tracking group tended to have faster heart rate than low BP tracking group. We concluded that it is valuable to measure heart rate for the prediction of adult hypertension, especially in girls.