[Assessment of risk factors associated with elevated blood pressure in children and adolescents].

* PhD. Associate professor, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Hypertension in children is associated with a higher incidence of secondary causes than in adults; however, in the last decade, studies have shown an increase in the incidence of essential hypertension in the pediatric population, especially among adolescents. The most important etiologic factor for essential hypertension in children is obesity, which has become an epidemic problem.1,2 Other implicated factors include insulin resistance, changes in the glucose and lipid metabolism, and reduced arterial compliance.3