Treatment of Childhood Hypertension

The treatment of hypertension in children involves lifestyle modifications, drug therapy, and at times surgical intervention. Healthy eating patterns, increased exercise, and when appropriate, weight loss are the tenants of lifestyle modifications. Drug therapy is recommended for children with symptomatic hypertension and those children that do not respond to lifestyle modifications. The most common class of antihypertensive drugs used in children are the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and the angiotensin receptor blockers. Surgical and interventional radiology procedures are most often used in the setting of renal vascular hypertension. Interventional procedures include percutaneous balloon angioplasty and surgical revascularization.