Adolescent Hypertension and Risk for Early-Onset Type 2 Diabetes: A Nationwide Study of 1.9 Million Israeli Adolescents.

The incidence of adolescent hypertension is growing worldwide, mostly in conjunction with the growing obesity prevalence (1,2). Adolescent hypertension was shown to be a risk factor for cardiovascular and renal outcomes later in life, thus promoting current guidelines to screen all pediatric and adolescent population for hypertension (1,3). Here, we elucidate the association of adolescent hypertension and early-onset type 2 diabetes in a nationwide cohort of adolescents. In this population-based, retrospective cohort study we linked the Israeli Defense Forces conscription center database with the Israeli National Diabetes Registry (INDR). One year prior to mandatory military service at age 17 years, Israeli adolescents undergo comprehensive medical evaluation based on their medical history, an interview and physical examination that includes measurements of height, weight, and blood pressure. Included were adolescents who were examined between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 2016. Excluded were those with prior diagnosis of dysglycemia and those with missing baseline height or weight data (3.8% in total). Essential hypertension diagnosis was confirmed by a board-specified nephrologist based on a preexisting diagnosis or screening for hypertension as described previously (1). Briefly, adolescents with blood pressure measurement during the screening assessment of >140/90 mmHg were referred for further investigation. The final diagnosis was made when the average of 10 additional outpatient blood pressure measurements was >140/90 mmHg, when at least 50% of the measurements were above this level, and after exclusion of secondary hypertension. The primary outcome was incident type 2 diabetes as documented by the INDR, which captures all cases of diabetes in Israel with a sensitivity of 95.1% (2). Cox models were applied. Follow-up started at the day of the first medical examination and ended at the date of diabetes diagnosis, 31 December 2016, or death—whichever came first. Due to the previously described …