Blood pressure in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes: data from the Australasian Diabetes Data Network registry

AIM: Hypertension increases complication risk in type 1 diabetes (T1D). We examined blood pressure (BP) in adolescents and young adults with T1D from the Australasian Diabetes Data Network, a prospective clinical diabetes registry in Australia and New Zealand. METHODS: This was a longitudinal study of prospectively collected registry data. Inclusion criteria: T1D (duration ≥ 1 year) and age 16–25 years at last visit (2011–2020). Hypertension was defined as (on ≥ 3 occasions) systolic BP and/or diastolic BP > 95(th) percentile for age < 18 years, and systolic BP > 130 and/or diastolic BP > 80 mmHg for age ≥ 18 years. Multivariable Generalised Estimating Equations were used to examine demographic and clinical factors associated with BP in the hypertensive range across all visits. RESULTS: Data from 6338 young people (male 52.6%) attending 24 participating centres across 36,655 T1D healthcare visits were included; 2812 (44.4%) had BP recorded at last visit. Across all visits, 19.4% of youth aged < 18 years and 21.7% of those aged ≥ 18 years met criteria for hypertension. In both age groups, BP in the hypertensive range was associated with male sex, injection (vs. pump) therapy, higher HbA1c, and higher body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high proportion of adolescents and young adults reported with BP persistently in hypertensive ranges. Findings flag the additive contribution of hypertension to the well-established body of evidence indicating a need to review healthcare models for adolescents and young adults with T1D.