Abstract
The prevalence of essential arterial hypertension in children and adolescents has grown considerably in the last few decades, making this disease a major clinical problem in the pediatric age. The pathogenesis of arterial hypertension is multifactorial, with one of the components being represented by incorrect eating habits. In particular, excessive salt and sugar intake can contribute to the onset of hypertension in children, particularly in subjects with excess weight. Babies have an innate predisposition for sweet taste, while that for salty taste manifests after a few weeks. The recent modification of dietary styles and the current very wide availability of salt and sugar has led to an exponential increase in the consumption of these two nutrients. The dietary intake of salt and sugar in children is in fact much higher than that recommended by health agencies. The purpose of this review is to explore the mechanisms via which an excessive dietary intake of salt and sugar can contribute to the onset of arterial hypertension in children and to show the most important clinical studies that demonstrate the association between these two nutrients and arterial hypertension in pediatric age. Correct eating habits are essential for the prevention and nondrug treatment of essential hypertension in children and adolescents.
Highlights
The purpose of this review is to explore the relationship between an excessive dietary intake of salt and sugar and the onset of arterial hypertension in children
Since blood pressure tracks from childhood to adulthood, these findings suggest that a reduction in sodium intake during childhood and adolescence could lower blood pressure and prevent the development of hypertension later on in life
In a meta-analysis that included 18 prospective studies, the presence of hyperuricemia was associated with a 40% increased risk of incident hypertension; for a 1 mg/dL increase in serum uric acid levels, the risk of developing hypertension was increased by 13%, and studies performed in older populations showed a lower risk than those performed in younger populations [106]
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The WHO considers glucose, fructose, and sucrose as free sugars only if added to food preparations, but not if taken directly with fruits. The largest share of sugar is introduced in the diet as sucrose (the common table sugar) and high-fructose sweetening syrups (HFCS) used widely, but not exclusively, in soft drinks. These syrups contain 55–60% fructose and are produced through the isomerization of the glucose contained in corn starch. The sugars in honey and fruit juices may have a certain quantitative importance, while the use of fructose alone, erroneously perceived as a natural sweetener, is becoming increasingly popular. The prevalence of secondary hypertension is higher in younger children than in older children and adolescents, when considering patient populations referred to tertiary pediatric hypertension clinics [15,16]
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