ABSTRACT
The prevalence of hypertension (HTN) in children and adolescents in Europe is reported to be ranging from 2.2–22% depending on the demographic characteristics of the subjects analysed, age, sex and body weight and ethnicity. Clinically relevant are the studies in incidence that addressed the concern with progression from high-normal blood pressure (BP) to HTN. Children with white-coat HTN tend to have an intermediate left ventricular mass index between that of normotensive patients and patients with sustained HTN, suggesting that white-coat HTN may be associated with hypertensive end-organ damage. In making pharmacological treatment decisions for children, clinicians had to adapt the results of adult trials in selecting antihypertensive agents. Paediatric HTN is associated with a broad spectrum of diseases that changes from childhood through adolescence. A good general rule to follow is that the likelihood of identifying a secondary cause of HTN is inversely related to the age of the child and directly related to the degree of BP elevation.
