Factors Related to Hypertension in Pediatric Patients Who Do Not Have Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Retrospective Chart Study

Background/Objectives: The relationship between OSA and adult hypertension has been extensively studied; however, it remains understudied in pediatric patients without OSA. The aim of this study is to identify factors associated with pediatric hypertension without OSA, through an IRB-approved retrospective chart review of patients who underwent polysomnography at Nemours Children’s Hospital, DE/NJ between January 2020 and July 2023. Methods: Eligibility criteria included children 8–17 years, completed PSG, and clinic visit blood pressure (BP). Anthropometrics, demographics, social determinants, and medical history were obtained from electronic medical records. Hypertension was defined as the average systolic and/or diastolic BP that is ≥95th percentile for gender, age, and height based on AAP Clinical Practice Guidelines. All variables were checked for normality. Chi-square tests for categorical data and Wilcoxon rank sum tests for continuous data were used to test significance between non-OSA non-hypertensives (NH) and hypertensives (H). p < 0.05 is considered significant. Results: Of 285 charts evaluated, 137 were classified as non-OSA. Patient information, including parents in household, smoking exposure, and food allergies, were statistically significant (p < 0.05) in hypertensive pediatric patients without OSA. Hypertension was significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with birth weight, BMI, daytime heart rate, systolic BP, and diastolic BP. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in mental illnesses, neurological disease, and respiratory disease. Among polysomnography parameters, only nighttime heart rate was found to be statistically significant. Conclusions: The data suggests that in pediatric patients without OSA, there are multiple factors and co-morbidities associated with hypertension. These factors and co-morbidities warrant additional follow up in clinical practice to mitigate the risks of hypertension in pediatric patients.