Childhood Hypertension: A Problem of Epidemic Proportion

Currently, we are experiencing an epidemic of essential hypertension characterized by increasing rates of obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Essential hypertension affects nearly 20% of the population across the global. The consequences of hypertension include coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Recently, the assessment and management of hypertension has focused on accurate blood pressure (BP) measurement, appropriate non-pharmacological (life-style) strategies for prevention and control, how to attain target BPs that will reduce the risk of complications and minimize adverse effects and how to assess and manage resistant hypertension. Each of these topics are dealt with in this theme issue. Managing hypertension control requires a concerted effort by primary care physicians and specialists to optimize non-pharmacological and pharmacological therapy and to identify and manage patients with resistant hypertension in the context of an overall strategy for cardiovascular risk reduction. Should we go searching for evidence of target organ involvement that would prompt more aggressive management strategies? This special issue marks a new feature of the International Journal of Preventive Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Nephrology, Rush University Medical College, Chicago, Illinois, USA, and Child Growth Development Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran