Sugar High

Prevalence of Hypertension in Adolescents: Differences Between 2016 ESH and 2017 AAP Guidelines

“…The causes of increased obesity in children and adolescents are due both to the increased caloric intake from the ever-growing number of fast food outlets [ 19 ] and, perhaps even more importantly, to the reduction in physical activity. The American Academy of Pediatrics has officially called for reduced access to canned drinks in schools [ 20 ], but this action alone will not be sufficient unless it is accompanied by measures addressing other involved factors [ 21 ]. Most notably, as a consequence of the rise in obesity, mean blood pressure in children and adolescents in the U.S. increased by 1.4/3.3 mmHg from 1990 to 2000 [ 22 ], which corresponds to significant increases in childhood hypertension, with higher likelihoods of hypertension in adulthood.…”