Baseline characteristics and associated factors for hypertension in children with chronic kidney disease: results from the Korean Cohort Study for Outcome in Patients with Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease study.

Background: Hypertension is one of the most important complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) as it exacerbates disease progression in children. The aim of this study is to identify characteristics and factors associated with hypertension in children with CKD.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using baseline data from the 10-year ongoing cohort study named KNOW-PedCKD (Korean Cohort Study for Outcome in Patients with Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease). We enrolled finally 378 patients aged <18 years at seven major pediatric nephrology centers in Republic of Korea. Blood pressure was measured and samples and clinical data were collected during the patients' annual hospital visits.

Results: We found that 30.7% of the patients had hypertension (n = 116); specifically, 16.4% (n = 62) had systolic hypertension, and 22.8% (n = 86) had diastolic hypertension. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.13; p < 0.001), female sex (OR, 2.32; p = 0.002), a high left ventricular mass index (OR, 1.05; p < 0.001), and a high urine protein/creatinine ratio (OR, 1.12; p = 0.02) were significant associated factors for systolic or diastolic hypertension.

Conclusion: This study analyzed the associated factors for hypertension in children with CKD. Hypertension is associated with various factors, including age, sex, heart status, and proteinuria. Therefore, clinicians should consider these factors during patient evaluations to improve health outcomes.