Hello,
My article is on lifestyles and its contribution to hypertension in pediatrics. Hypertension in
children and adolescents is a growing health concern that should be taken seriously and
diagnosed early. A CDC study shows that about 1 in 25 youth ages 12 to 19 have hypertension,
and 1 in 10 has elevated blood pressure (CDC,2017).Hypertension is one of the world's most
common diseases with a high death rate . Hypertension is not only as a common disease, but also
known as one of the most prevalent human diseases, leading to high morbidity and mortality ,
(Bromfield S, Muntner P.,2013). The prevalence of essential hypertension in adolescents is
different among diverse ethnicities from as low as 0.3% up to approximately 21% ,(Wuhl
E.,2019).A study on about 25,000 schoolchildren revealed a higher prevalence of hypertension in
overweight and obese children in comparison to normal weight participants (17%-18% vs. 10%)
(Raj M, Sundaram KR, Paul M, Deepa AS, Kumar RK.,2007).It was thought for many years that
it was a problem that only affected adults. Due to modern day lifestyles the incidence of
hypertension has increased in children over time. In the past, hypertension and its harmful
consequences were attributed to adult patients, and it was unusual in childhood and secondary to
some disorders of the renal, endocrine, and cardiac, (Sharma S, Meyers KE, Vidi SR.; Flynn J,
Ingelfinger JR, Redwine K. ,2016).Secondary causes that contribute to hypertension are seen
more in children.
In looking at policies there is no consensus on the best initial antihypertensive medication to
use in children, and there have been no clinical trials of hypertension treatment in children that
measured patient-oriented, long-term outcomes. Dietary patterns, physical activity, and stress
have main roles in the incidence and prevention of hypertension in children and adolescents.
( Giontella A, Bonafini S, Tagetti A, Bresadola I, Minuz P, Gaudino R, et al.,2019). Children with
symptomatic hypertension (e.g., headaches, cognitive changes), stage 2 hypertension without a
modifiable factor such as obesity, evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy on echocardiography,
any stage of hypertension associated with chronic kidney disease or diabetes, or persistent
hypertension despite a trial of lifestyle modifications require antihypertensive medications
(Flynn JT, Kaelber DC, Baker-Smith CM, et al.,2017). Weight loss should be encouraged for
children who are overweight or obese, and those who are obese should be referred for
comprehensive, intensive, family-oriented behavioral intervention programs, (Flynn JT, Kaelber
DC, Baker-Smith CM, et al.,2017). The World Health organization has made several
recommendations to a healthy life style in children .Since the World Health Organization
recommended to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for at least 1 h a day in
childhood ,(World Health Organization, 2015). There is no evidence-based guideline to
recommend a specific length for a lifestyle modification trial, but various research studies
suggest a period of three to six months is sufficient to determine likely effectiveness (Flynn JT,
Kaelber DC, Baker-Smith CM, et al.,2017). It is suggested that children with preexisting
conditions have blood pressure taken yearly beginning at age 3, (