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Blood pressure in children: not only a disease of adults - voila! health

2023-04-19T04:56:13.753Z


The obesity epidemic of the past decades has caused many children to suffer from diseases of adults. High blood pressure is one of them. So what can be done, how do you recognize high blood pressure in children?


High blood pressure — known as the "silent killer" because it can cause serious damage to the heart and brain before symptoms appear — is common in adults.

But what about children?

A scientific statement from the American Heart Association recently published in the journal Hypertension showed that among children and adolescents in the United States, up to 5% have high blood pressure and 18% have elevated blood pressure. Until recently, experts did not focus on hypertension



as a childhood issue, said Dr. Bonita Falkner, a specialist in medicine and pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

In fact, they weren't even sure how to diagnose it in children and didn't look for it unless the child had an underlying condition — such as kidney disease — that could cause blood pressure levels to rise.

"It was not a common practice to measure blood pressure in children without symptoms, so it took time to understand what was normal and what was not," Falkner said.



Falkner added that concerns about childhood hypertension have increased as obesity levels among children in the US have reached alarming levels. Being overweight and not getting enough physical activity are major risk factors for hypertension, along with poor nutrition. "Many of the same things that cause hypertension in Adults can cause it in children."

The obesity epidemic as a major factor

Over the past three decades, obesity among U.S. children has doubled, to nearly 20% based on the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical activity levels remain well below federal guidelines: Only about one-fifth of children ages 6 to 17 get the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity every day, with activity levels decreasing as children get older. And according to the CDC, younger children in the U.S. are not meeting federal guidelines for eating fruits and vegetables while regularly consuming sugary drinks.

The causes of high blood pressure are the same in adults and children.

A girl undergoes a blood pressure measurement (Photo: ShutterStock)

The development of high blood pressure in childhood is particularly worrisome, because the higher the blood pressure remains, the greater the risks to the heart and blood vessels in major organs, such as the brain and kidneys.

"We know that children who have high blood pressure tend to suffer from it as adults as well," said the authors of the report.

However, in most cases hypertension has no obvious symptoms.

Possible symptoms in cases of very high blood pressure include blurred vision, headaches, vomiting, shortness of breath and chest pain.

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What is high blood pressure?

In adults, blood pressure is considered high if systolic levels (the top number) are 130 mm Hg or higher or diastolic levels (the bottom number) are 80 mm Hg or higher.

Normal blood pressure in adults is less than 120/80 mmHg.



Until recently, data linking blood pressure levels to later cardiovascular events in children was lacking. But studies published over the past few years provide growing evidence that high blood pressure in childhood can cause cardiovascular damage within a few years and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Based on these data, the new AHA report defines high blood pressure for children 13 and older using the same thresholds as adults. "We now have evidence that children with hypertension



have Enlarged hearts and stiffer blood vessels," Falkner said. "There are signs that high blood pressure has a negative effect on the child."



For children under 13, hypertension is diagnosed if the systolic or diastolic blood pressure is at or above the 95th percentile, meaning that 95% of other children of the same age, sex, and height have lower blood pressure.

Normal blood pressure is defined as being below the 90th percentile.

There are signs that high blood pressure has a negative effect on the child (Photo: ShutterStock)

Taking blood pressure measurements in a child is done exactly like in adults.

The child should be seated in a quiet room, resting for three to five minutes before reading.

Their feet should be flat on the floor and the back supported.

There should be no distractions, such as digital devices, and the child should not talk while reading.



The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines call for an appropriately sized cuff placed over bare skin of the right arm and supported so that the middle of the cuff is at heart level.

Measurements should be taken on at least three different days, as the readings may vary.

When the measurements are higher than normal, the average should be calculated.

Home and ambulatory blood pressure devices may help confirm a diagnosis of hypertension.

As in adults, treatment of high blood pressure in children should begin with lifestyle changes, including regular exercise and improved nutrition.



If blood pressure is found to be very high or remains high despite lifestyle changes, medication may be necessary.

  • health

  • parenthood

  • child's health

Tags

  • Blood Pressure

  • Children

Source: walla

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