Diagnosis, treatment and prevention of hypertension in children

Abstract

Arterial hypertension is a major risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal disease, and it is shown that it has its roots in childhood. There is an obvious trend in the incidence of hypertension in the pediatric population, which follows the increase in the prevalence of obesity in this population. The de nition of hypertension has undergone signi cant changes over the past few decades. According to the modern de nition, normal systolic and diastolic blood pressure in children above 90 percentile speci c for age and gender. Given the great importance of the disease, both in medical and in the broader social context, it is necessary to establish clear diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, and effective programs for prevention and early diagnosis of hypertension in children.