Araújo J, et al. - In this prospective cohort, researchers assessed the impact of age-related changes in body mass index and waist circumference during adolescence on blood pressure levels and incidence of hypertension (defined as systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 95th sex-, age-, and height-specific reference percentile). Among the 2,159 adolescents recruited at the age of 13 in Porto, Portugal, they assessed those without baseline hypertension and follow-up at the age of 17 (n=1,377). The overall hypertension incidence rate was 23.8 per 1,000 person-years. Participants with the highest BMI percentage (BMI%) decrease from 13 to 17 years (first quartile) showed a lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) level at 17 years, while those with a higher BMI% (fourth quartile) showed a higher SBP level. Decreases in BMI% (first quartile) were correlated with a 44% lower risk of hypertension at 17 years in comparison to stable BMI% (third quartile). Increases in BMI% (fourth quartile) were related to increased incidence, although without statistical significance. When considering changes in waist circumference (WC) percentage, outcomes were comparable. The findings suggested that decreases in BMI and WC during adolescence in the whole spectrum of adiposity levels were potentially beneficial to blood pressure. The results highlight the importance of weight control in adolescents with normal weight.