Epidemiology of hypertension in children and adolescents

Abstract

The diagnosis of hypertension in children relies upon blood pressure distribution tables adjusted for gender, age, and height. Unlike in adults, specific blood pressure levels corresponding to long-term adverse outcomes in children have not been established. However, there are known surrogate markers of target organ injury associated with elevated blood pressure, such as left ventricular hypertrophy, retinal changes, thickening of the carotid artery wall, cognitive changes, and even evidence of early atherosclerosis. Moreover there is corroboration that hypertension in children predicts adult hypertension.In view of the global childhood obesity epidemic, in conjunction with the well-established association of obesity and hypertension, evaluation of blood pressure in the pediatric population has become an important health concern. With this insight, efforts continue worldwide to accurately measure, determine prevalence and monitor recent trends of hypertension in children and adolescents.