Importance of Blood Pressures in Children

There is a growing realization that essential hypertension in the adult is a disease which likely has its onset in childhood [1,2]. At present, however, little is known about pediatric essential hypertension and the early natural history of this disease. Comprehension of the evolution of primary hypertension from youth until the disease state becomes recognizable in adulthood is important to our goal of trying to prevent this major cardiovascular problem. In the United States, hypertension is the second most common cardiovascular disease, and its importance is compounded by its role in accelerating coronary artery disease. Further, hypertension is a more severe disease with a greater morbidity and mortality in the black population of this country than in whites. Evidence indicates familial aggregation of hypertension; therefore, occurrence in parents might signal a tendency toward hypertension in children of affected families and, when combined with observations at a young age, may provide an indication of future hypertensive disease.