Call for routine high blood pressure testing of UK children as cases almost double
Exclusive: Identifying teenagers at risk could help prevent organ damage, strokes and heart attacks in early adulthood, doctors say
TL;DR
- UK doctors propose a national program to monitor schoolchildren for high blood pressure.
- Rates of high blood pressure in children have nearly doubled in the last 20 years.
- Currently, there is no routine blood pressure testing for children in the UK.
- Early detection can help prevent organ damage, strokes, and heart attacks later in life.
- Factors contributing to childhood hypertension include excess weight, poor nutrition, and lack of exercise.
- Monitoring could be integrated into existing child measurement programs or through new NHS health checks.
- Hypertension is the leading cause of premature death in the UK, and strokes in working-age individuals are increasing.