LAUSR

Key Points Question How are body weight and change in body weight over time associated with the risk of hypertension in youths at the higher end of normal weight? Findings In this cohort study including more than 800 000 youths, weight change expressed as a change in the distance from the median BMI for age per year was associated with a change in hypertension risk independent of baseline weight classes. However, the risk associated with weight change was higher in youths living with low to high normal weight and overweight than in youths living with severe obesity, indicating a plateau in the association between weight gain and risk of hypertension. Meaning These findings suggest that even modest elevations in the BMI-for-age percentile in the upper range of normal weight may confer an increased risk of hypertension among children, which may further increases with excess weight gain over time.