Blood pressure measurement in children and adolescents: key element in the evaluation of arterial hypertension

Abstract

Arterial hypertension is the main modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, occupying the first place among the causes of loss of life years adjusted for disability. In recent years, arterial hypertension in children and adolescents has gained ground in cardiovascular medicine thanks to progress made in several areas, fundamentally in pathophysiological and clinical research. Despite the advances that have been made in recent years, the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure in children and adolescents still have room for improvement. In this sense, the correct measurement of blood pressure is especially important, since it includes a series of essential elements such as the measurement devices, the regulated procedure and the interpretation of the results based on percentiles according to age, gender and height. The availability of a free access calculator facilitates the diagnosis and monitoring of arterial hypertension https://hyperchildnet.eu/.