New Guidelines for Treating Hypertension in Children and Adolescents

A task force put together by the European Society of Hypertension has released a new set of guidelines for the management of hypertension in children and adolescents.

In addition to helping healthcare professionals manage the disease in younger patients, the task force is hopeful that the guidelines will raise awareness about hypertension and eventually improve the global effort that goes into treating the disease.

Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hypertension in children and adolescents from the task force include:

- Definition and classification of hypertension

- Diagnostic evaluation

- Preventative measures

- Evidence for therapeutic management

- Therapeutic strategies and approaches under special conditions

- Treatment of associated risk factors

- Screening for secondary forms of hypertension”

According to an abstract of an article that was written about the guidelines in the Journal of Hypertension, the “guidelines represent a consensus among specialists involved in the detection and control of high blood pressure in children and adolescents.” The abstract also states that the guidelines “synthesize a considerable amount of scientific data and clinical experience and represent best clinical wisdom upon which physicians, nurses and families should base their decisions.”

The researchers state that the necessity for the guidelines became apparent because of growing evidence that more and more children and adolescents have mild cases of hypertension. In addition, current research has shown the link between pediatric hypertension and cardiovascular disease later in adulthood, which heightens the need for better control of hypertension in children and adolescents.

Dr Empar Lurbe of the University of Valencia served as the head of the task force. A complete list of participating physicians can be found in the abstract.