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Elevated BP on the Rise in US Children Aged 8 to 17 Years

The risk for elevated blood pressure (BP) among children and adolescents rose 27% during a 13-year period, according to a population-based study published online July 15 in Hypertension. Obesity and excess salt intake were associated with elevated BP.

High blood pressure is dangerous in part because many people don’t know they have it. It’s a very sneaky thing. Blood pressure has to be measured regularly to keep on top of it.

The obesity epidemic in children makes it plausible that prevalence rates of elevated blood pressure are increasing over time .
but there is no present information that the two phenomena are linked.

Compared with non-Hispanic white children, black children had a 28% higher risk for elevated BP.

Mean systolic, but not diastolic, BP was associated with increased salt intake from all sources.

It is important to prevent and control elevated BP, which is a risk factor for stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure and contributes to approximately 350,000 preventable deaths annually in the United States.

Findings of this study suggest that reducing BMI, abdominal obesity, and sodium intake may help prevent elevated BP. In children and adolescents, reducing sodium intake may reduce average systolic BP by 1.2 mm Hg and average diastolic BP by 1.3 mm Hg.

Hypertension. Published online July 15 2013. Abstract

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