High blood pressure in children. Definitely measure again

If the blood pressure of children at the doctor is high: second measurement recommended

According to health experts, hypertension is becoming increasingly common in children. However, a one-time increase in value is not proof of hypertension. According to researchers from the US, one should always take a second blood pressure measurement if the first one indicates high blood pressure.

More and more patients with hypertension

The German high pressure league e. According to DHL®, around 30 percent of adults worldwide suffer from high blood pressure. But many do not suspect it. That can be dangerous. For untreated hypertension is risk factor number one for cardiovascular diseases. So it's clear that you should better diagnose and treat hypertension early. This is not only true for adults, but also for children. But if the little ones are even measured elevated blood pressure, that does not mean that they actually suffer from hypertension.

When high blood pressure levels are measured in a child, it is important to measure again. Because the values ​​obtained in the first measurement are often not confirmed, according to researchers. (Image: Kzenon / fotolia.com)

Always carry out a second blood pressure measurement in children

Researchers from the US point out that it's important to do a second blood pressure reading in children when the first one has provided evidence of high blood pressure, the Health Day portal reported..

Because the researchers found in an investigation that nearly 25 percent of the children and adolescents whose blood pressure was checked by their family doctor, measured values ​​in the high range, but less than half of these values ​​were confirmed when their blood pressure was rechecked.

According to the study authors, the suspicion of hypertension confirmed only two percent of children.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension, evaluated data from more than 755,000 patients from the Kaiser-Permanente company in Southern California, aged between three and 17 years old.

Pediatricians do not often diagnose high blood pressure in children, but if it does exist, it's important to track it down, "study author Dr. Robert James Riewerts, Regional Director of Pediatrics for the Southern California Permanent Medical Group.

"This study is important because it shows the best way to accurately diagnose hypertension in a child or teenager," he said in a press release by Kaiser Permanente.

"Taking a second blood pressure measurement when the first one turned up is something that all clinicians need to consider."

Proper diagnosis helps prevent sequelae

According to the researchers, it is normal that the blood pressure of children and adolescents varies greatly. What is considered hypertension is also dependent on their gender, their age and their height in young people.

As Professor Wühl of the German Hypertension League (DHL) explained in a report: "A value of 120 to 80 mm Hg, which is optimal for adults, is just normal for a 12-year-old, too high for a 6-year-old A 3-year-old is a severe hypertension and an emergency in a newborn. "

If hypertension is not detected, children and adolescents and their parents may not receive the advice they need to suggest meaningful lifestyle changes, or they may not get the medication they need.

Without early treatment, however, the risk increases that children are later affected by complications such as heart attack or stroke.

High blood pressure does not always have to be treated with medication, in many cases it can also be reduced, among other things, to a healthier diet in a milder way. (Ad)