Hypertension in children: an update on treatment strategies.
OBJECTIVE
Hypertension is among the more prevalent treatable diseases that afflict children. Pediatric hypertension carries significant short-term morbidity and long-term risk for the development of cardiovascular disease. This review addresses issues significant to the chronic management of hypertension and discusses common pharmacological agents currently used to treat elevated blood pressure in children.


RESULTS
The recent change in the Federal 2002 Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act has led to the study and approval of new antihypertensive medications for use in pediatrics. Several antihypertensive medications are commercially available in liquid form or can be extemporaneously compounded for flexible dosing and ease of administration.


CONCLUSIONS
The availability of normative blood pressure data and several pharmacologic antihypertensive agents makes early detection and treatment of hypertension in children a realizable goal. The long-term effect of chronic antihypertensive therapy on growth, as well as the prevention of future development of cardiovascular disease, is not fully understood.
Seikaly
Mouin G
MG
Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9063, USA. mouin.seikaly@utsouthwestern.edu
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents