SERUM-LIPIDS AND BLOOD-PRESSURE IN RELATION TO AGE AND SEXUAL MATURITY

This study was designed to examine serum lipid profile and blood pressure in relation to age and sexual maturity. Written informed consent to participate was obtained from 42% of the eligible population of two Devon communities. The blood pressure of 343 boys and 336 girls, aged 11-16 years, was recorded and sufficient blood for analysis was obtained from 320 boys and 301 girls. Of these, sexual maturity of 221 boys and 209 girls was visually assessed using the indices developed by Tanner. In girls there was a significant (p<0.05) correlation between age and serum triglyceride level (r = 0.16) and in boys both serum cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were significantly (p<0.01) and negatively correlated with age (r = - 0.25 and - 0.18 respectively). Girls had significantly higher (p<0.05) levels of HDL-cholesterol than boys but neither sex demonstrated significant changes (p>0.05) in serum lipids or lipoproteins with sexual maturity. No significant differences (p>0.05) were detected between the mean diastolic blood pressures of boys and girls but older boys had significantly higher (P<0.05) systolic blood pressures than similarly aged girls. Age was positively and significantly correlated (p<0.01) with blood pressure in both boys (systolic, r = 0.49; diastolic, r = 0.30) and girls (systolic, r = 0.28; diastolic, r = 0.29). More mature children were demonstrated to have both higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures than less mature children (p<0.05) but when allowance was made for school year group through analysis of co-variance the relatiOnship for diastolic blood pressure in boys no longer remained significant. Blood pressures observed in this study do not raise general cause for concern but the data indicate that unfavourable serum lipid and lipoprotein profiles are common.