High blood pressure in children and teens. How to win the battle.

High blood pressure (HBP) and pre-high blood pressure are on the rise in children and adolescents, says MD F. Bruder Stapleton. As hypertension is a risk factor for development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), we see kids and teens with more probabilities for living shorter or less healthier for longer. What to do? Read next.

How much is too much? And care messages against HBP in our kids.

In a study made by MD Howard Bauchner and published in the Journal Watch Pediatrics and Adolescents Medicine in 2008, more than 8,500 adolescents were included for blood pressure measurements starting at ages: 13-15 years and making measurements after 2 years and 4 years.

Findings suggested that about 7% of prehypertensive adolescents become hypertensive annually.

In another study from MD Robert A. Dershewitz, blood pressure problems were found in nearly 20% of adolescents. What a number! As parents, do we know what's our kids blood pressure?

First message here is: As parents, we should make our kids and teens get blood pressure measurements every healthcare visit, and be aware of the results, so that we can consult with the pediatrician if numbers tend to be high along time.

This is because hypertension diagnosis is regularly missed in children and in adults. In the US about 75% of children with persistently elevated blood pressure readings were not diagnosed.

From three national representative health surveys:

1) 1963-1970.

2) 1982-1984.

3) 1988-2002.

Children aged 8-17 years from three racial and ethnic groups:

1) Non hispanic blacks.

2) Non hispanic whites.

3) Mexican americans.

The increase in pre-hypertension was significant among blacks and mexican americans, and the increase in hypertension was significant among mexican american females and white females. Also, the upward trend in blood pressure began 10 years after an increase in obesity.

Second message is: We must help out children to maintain a healthy body weight. We can help them with this by teaching them a healthy lifestyle with physical activity and good nutrition included.

Third and final message would be: Help your kids to sleep well, as high blood pressure is close related with less sleeping time and sleep apnea (wrong breathing during sleep).

If you like healthier children, love them and care about them. Being aware of this sort of things, may help our children to develop just the way they deserve.

Find other important high blood pressure facts

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