Kids can have hypertension too
by Claudia Boyd-Barrett posted in Parenting
Hypertension may sound like a grownup disease, but increasingly it?s a problem for kids too. That?s why new guidelines issued this week by The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) aim to help doctors spot and treat the disease in children.
The AAP wants healthcare providers to routinely check children?s blood pressure during annual checkups starting at age 3. They?ve also provided doctors with updated measurement charts that help identify abnormally high blood pressure - another name for hypertension ? in children of all weight ranges. Until now, doctors had focused on identifying hypertension in overweight and obese kids because these children are at greater risk for the disease. But normal-weight kids can also have high blood pressure. What does this mean for you" First, your child will probably get his blood pressure checked when he visits the doctor if that isn?t happening already, assuming he?s age 3 or older. And if he does have high blood pressure, there?s a greater chance it will be detected and treated.
An estimated 3.5 percent of kids and teens suffer from high blood pressure, about double the number of a couple of decades ago. Increases in childhood obesity may be contributing to the problem, although conditions such as kidney disease and genetic heart abnormalities can also cause hypertension in kids. Often, children with high blood pressure don't show any symptoms.
Treating hypertension early helps preve...
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