Title: Hypertension in Children

Biography:

Saleh Al Shurafa is a Sr. Consultant Pediatrician and Pediatric Nephrologist and Head, Pediatric Nephrology, Qatif Central Hospital, Qatif, Saudi Arabia. He is a President, Saudi Hypertension Management Society.

Abstract

BP increases gradually with age and height, therefore standard normograms are necessary for the interpretation of hypertension in children. Most children track in a constant percentile around the mean

The development of a national database and Saudi centiles is going to be discussed. Prevalence is not known but our prevalence might be high due to the high prevalence of obesity. The epidemic of childhood obesity, the risk of developing left ventricular hypertrophy, and evidential development of atherosclerosis in children would make the detection of and intervention in childhood hypertension important to reduce long-term health risks. However, supporting data is lacking. Secondary HTN is more common in young children, while essential HTN is more common in older children and adolescents, a steadfast reason why clinicians should be alert to possibility of identifiable causes in young children .most hypertensive children are asymptomatic or have a variety of non-specific symptoms; measurements of BP with the appropriate sized cuff should be a part of the routine pediatric evaluationin every clinic with visits in children of 3 years or older and of all age level’s, and in children < 3 years with specific clinical conditions. Management is multifaceted. Nonpharmacological treatments include weight reduction, exercise, and dietary modifications. Recommendations for pharmacologic treatment are based on symptomatic hypertension, evidence of end-organ damage, stage 2 hypertension, stage 1 hypertension unresponsive to lifestyle modifications, and hypertension with diabetes mellitus.