overview of high blood pressure in

A growing number of children are suffering from high blood pressure. While most cases of "pediatric hypertension" have traditionally been secondary to other medical conditions, an increasing number of children are being diagnosed with primary, or "essential" hypertension. High blood pressure in children is different than high blood pressure in adults. It follows different diagnosis guidelines, has different treatment options, and different measures of treatment success.1. Is High Blood Pressure Common in Children?High blood pressure is typically a disease associated with age, and has not been common in children without preexisting medical problems. In recent years, the number of children diagnosed with high blood pressure has increased dramatically, and the number of children with high blood pressure continues to rise. This is largely a result of the explosion in childhood obesity, which directly increases the risk of high blood pressure and of other diseases, like diabetes.2. Do Children Have the Same Risk Factors As Adults?The risk factors for high blood pressure are very similar for both adults and children. Obesity, exercise level, genetic traits, and family history all play an important role. The importance of each risk factor, though, is not as well understood in children. In adults, doctors can actually use formulas to figure out a patient’s “total risk” of developing high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease based on risk factors. Even though the actual risk factors are the same in children, they tend to work differently – some are more important, some are less important – and there is no universally accepted way to calculate total risk in children.3. When Should Children Have Their Blood Pressure Checked?Regular blood pressure checks should be done at every doctor visit starting at age 3. Usually, children younger than 3 do not need to have their blood pressure checked on a regular basis. Preexisting medical problems might require regular blood pressure checks regardless of age. Specifically, any problems with the heart, lungs, kidneys, or liver usually require close monitoring and regular blood pressure checks are almost always conducted as a part of the monitoring routine. If you doctor detects any abnormal readings, he may want to start more regular checks to determine if further action is needed.4. How Are Blood Pressure Readings Interpreted?Interpreting blood pressure readings in children is a complicated process. In adults, the measured blood pressure is compared to a set of guidelines that list cutoff values for normal and abnormal blood pressure. These were developed by observing how increasing pressure relates to problems like heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. Since children don’t usually suffer any of these things as a result of their high blood pressure, tables like this cannot be developed. Instead, a complex set of mathematical steps are used that relate age, height, and weight to the measured blood pressure.5. How is High Blood Pressure Diagnosed in Children?Diagnosing high blood pressure in children can be difficult. After taking multiple readings, the average blood pressure values are analyzed using different statistical methods and the analyzed readings are compared to charts. The charts used for children do not have firm cutoff values for diagnosis. Instead, they show how the child’s blood pressure compares to statistical averages for lots of other children of similar age, height, and weight. A diagnosis is made by figuring out how much the measured blood pressure differs from these averages.6. What Treatment Options are Available?Many treatment options are available for children with high blood pressure. Still, the treatment process can be complex and the treatment plan often requires frequent updates and changes. Children tend to be more resilient and in better overall health than adults. So in cases where there is no single, clear cause of the high blood pressure, lifestyle changes (diet, weight loss, etc.) are almost always the first treatment choice. Ultimately, drug therapy might be necessary, and smaller doses of adult medicines are usually used. There are no unique medicines that are only used for children, nor are there any medicines that must always be avoided in children.7. Should Teenagers Follow Adult or Child Guidelines?High blood pressure in teenagers is also a unique and sometimes complicated issue. Because they have physical traits of both adults and children, deciding how to evaluate, diagnose, and treat teenagers depends largely on the specific patient. Some teenagers are treated as adults, while others benefit more from pediatric diagnostic and treatment options. In the teenage years, risk factors begin to take on their more familiar adult properties, but careful attention should still be paid to the specific situation of individual patients.