Taking care of our children. Let us check their blood pressure.

The American Association of Paediatrics strongly recommends paediatricians to look for and provide an early diagnosis of hypertension in children that are healthy and over the age of three.

This association defines hypertension in children as high levels of blood pressure found in more than three recurring times and that are equal to or higher than the specified average according to their age, sex or height, always depending on the measuring devices available.

Hypertension in children can harm the heart, brain, kidneys and the retina if it is not diagnosed and treated early.

It is estimated that roughly 2% of cases in the world are of hypertension and eventhough the majority of them are due to secondary congenital pathologies, there are increasingly more cases of an unknown origins. The presence of obesity in children and bad habits involving alcohol and smoking in adolescents, as well as a prior family history of hypertension are also important risk factors.

Treatments will always be tailored according to the origin and levels of hypertension found, sometimes they will only be treated with a diet and exercise and other times they will be treated with diet, exercise and pharmaceuticals. And if there is a prior pathology that is the origin of the levels of hypertension, then that will be treated.

Children are the future. Let us take care of them.

Dr J. Hurtado Martínez

Medical Director of HealthSalus