Hypertension is a health complication that one usually associates with advancing age and adult life stresses. Hypertension is a sustained elevation in blood pressure. This means it is diagnosed when one's blood pressure is higher than normal on repeated measurements over a particular period.
It is a scientific fact that in childhood and adolescence, blood pressure normally increases with age and height. So, a normal blood pressure value for your child will change each year, just as the normal values for their height and weight change.
You will be shocked to know that paediatric hypertension (or high blood pressure among children) is on the rise. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, over the last 30-40 years, paediatric hypertension in the United States has increased fourfold.
The study says that currently up to 4.5%, or 3.34 million, of children in the United States have this condition. Recent statistics on heart disease and stroke put out by the American Heart Association suggest the number could be higher, estimating that 15% of adolescents have abnormal blood pressure.
ABP Live spoke to Dr Kanav Anand, a paediatric nephrologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi, to gain insights into what can cause hypertension in children and what parents should watch out for. Dr Kanav Anand was honoured with the Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Health Award in 2024 for his contribution to and Excellence in the Field of Child Kidney Care (paediatric nephrology).
Here are the excerpts from an exclusive interaction with Dr Anand.
ABP: How common is the problem of hypertension among children?
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