Etiology, treatment and complications of childhood hypertension : A retrospective study

Abstract

Background Hypertension is common in children, with an estimated prevalence of about 2–5%, and is increasing worldwide. This study reports a single-center experience of hypertension in children Methods A retrospective chart review of children aged from one month to 13 years old who were diagnosed with hypertension. Results A total of 129 children were included. Secondary hypertension was seen in 103 (79.8%) patients compared to only 26 (20.2%) who had primary hypertension. Primary hypertension was more common among pre-teen children (50.0%), whereas a higher proportion of the cases with secondary hypertension were aged between 1–5 years. Renal parenchymal diseases were the most common etiology for secondary hypertension, followed by endocrine and then vascular causes. In this study, no significant association was noted between hypertension and obesity. The most common complications of hypertension in these children were cardiovascular complications, followed by neurological complications. Hypertension was only managed by lifestyle modification in 14.7% of children, while the rest were also started on antihypertensive medications. During the last follow-up, 50% of children had improvement in blood pressure readings." Conclusion Secondary hypertension is more common compared to primary hypertension in our patients. The results of this study will increase awareness among pediatricians about the importance of early recognition and management of hypertension. Larger population-based studies are needed to better assess the prevalence, causes, and outcomes of hypertension in our region.