Markers of Target Organ Damage in Children with Essential Hypertension

Introduction: Hypertension (HT) is a common health problem that may cause target-organ damages (TOD). Our study aimed to investigate the clinical, laboratory and radiological findings associated with TOD. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 102 patients diagnosed with essential HT were analyzed. Results: A total of 102 patient were evaluated in this study. There was 53 girls (%52) and 49 boys (%48); the mean age was 13.7 +/- 1.97 years. Twenty-five patients (24.5%) were dipper and 77 (75.5%) were non-dipper. Sixty-three patients (64%) had single TOD, 22 (21.6%) had two TOD and 9 (8.8%) had three TOD. For obesity, there was a significant difference between patients without TOD and those with TOD in all groups. Serum uric acid, creatinine and sodium levels were significantly higher in all groups with TOD than those without TOD. Similarly, the WBC/lymphocyte ratio was significantly higher among the. RI values were higher in all groups with TOD. Conclusion: The kidney is the first organ affected in essential HT and the earliest sign of TOD is microalbuminuria. Therefore, it may be possible to prevent other TOD that may occur if the kidney is well protected. In our study, the risk of developing TOD over time was found to be significantly higher in patients who did not have TOD at the time of diagnosis but had a high RI value. Reasonable adjustment of salt-protein balance and close monitoring of serum sodium, uric acid and creatine levels have prognostic importance in these patients.