Impact of updated pediatric hypertension guidelines on progression from elevated blood pressure to hypertension in a community-based primary care population

High Blood Pressure in Children Aged 3 to 12 Years Old With Overweight or Obesity

Objective: (1) To describe the prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) and the association with BMI in young children with overweight/obesity; (2) to evaluate the accuracy of a single high BP to diagnose sustained hypertension over three visits. Methods: We used pre-intervention data from the Improving Pediatric Obesity Practice Using Prompts (iPOP-UP) trial. We included children aged 3-12 years with BMI ≥85th percentile at well-visits in 2019-2021 at 84 primary care practices in 3 US health systems in the Northeast, Midwest, and South. BP percentiles were calculated from the first visit with BP recorded during the study period. Hypertensive-range BP was defined by the 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics guideline. We tested the association between BMI classification and hypertensive BP using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Of 78,280 children with BMI ≥85th percentile, 76,214 (97%) had BP recorded during the study period (mean 7.4 years, 48% female, 53% with overweight, and 13% with severe obesity). The prevalence of elevated or hypertensive BP was 31%, including 27% in children with overweight and 33%, 39%, and 49% with class I, II, and III obesity, respectively. Higher obesity severity was associated with higher odds of hypertensive BP in the multivariable model. Stage 2 hypertensive BP at the initial visit had specificity of 99.1% (95% confidence interval 98.9-99.3) for detecting sustained hypertension over ≥3 visits. Conclusions: High BP is common in 3- to 12-year-olds with overweight/obesity, with higher obesity severity associated with greater hypertension. Children with overweight/obesity and stage 2 BP are likely to have sustained hypertension and should be prioritized for evaluation. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05627011.

Decrease in the prevalence of hypertension in Spanish schoolchildren from 2010 to 2017: Cuenca Study

AIMS

To examine the secular trends in blood pressure measurements and normal or high blood pressure classification among Spanish schoolchildren from 2010 to 2017, to analyze the persistence in the blood pressure category reported in 2017 compared with 2013 in those children born in 2007-08 and to compare in this cohort the prevalence of high blood pressure using both definitions, the 2004 and 2017 guidelines.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The data for the prevalence/trend analysis were obtained from cross-sectional analyses conducted in 2010, 2013, and 2017 of 2709 schoolchildren aged 4-6 and 8-11 years from 22 schools in the province of Cuenca, Spain. The data for the longitudinal analysis were obtained from cross-sectional analyses of measurements gathered in 2013 and 2017 in the same cohort of children (n = 275). The prevalence of normal blood pressure increased by 5.4% in children aged 4-6 years from 2013 to 2017 and by 2.2% in children aged 8-11 from 2010 to 2017. This increase was mainly driven by a decrease in the children classified in any stage of hypertension by 4.2% and 2.3% in each age range, respectively. In the same birth cohort, there was an increase of 7.6% in normal blood pressure prevalence.

CONCLUSION

The high blood pressure prevalence in Spanish children has clearly decreased over the last decade, but is still important to detect this condition to design specific school-based interventions and the evaluation of children classified as hypertensive who might need medical supervision and treatment.

Screening for hypertension in young people with obesity: Feasibility in the real life

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Screening for pediatric hypertension (HTN) is based on several measurements of blood pressure (BP) in different visits. We aimed to assess its feasibility in outpatient youths with overweight/obesity (OW/OB) in terms of adherence to two-repeated measurements of BP and to show the features of youths who missed the follow-up and the predictive role of clinical and/or anamnestic features on confirmed HTN.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Six hundred, eighty-eight youths (9-17 years) with OW/OB, consecutively recruited, underwent a first measurement of BP. Those exhibiting BP levels within the hypertensive range were invited to repeat a second measurement within 1-2 weeks. Confirmed HTN was diagnosed when BP in the hypertensive range was confirmed at the second measurement. At entry, 174 youths (25.1%) were classified as hypertensive. At the second visit, 66 youths (37.9%) were lost to follow-up. In the remaining 108 participants, HTN was confirmed in 59, so that the prevalence of confirmed HTN was 9.5% in the overall sample; it was higher in adolescents than children (15.9% vs 6.8%, P = 0.001). HTN at first visit showed the best sensitivity (100%) and a good specificity (91%) for confirmed HTN. The association of HTN at first visit plus familial HTN showed high specificity (98%) and positive predictive value of 70%.

CONCLUSION

The high drop-out rate confirms the real difficulty to obtain a complete diagnostic follow up in the obese population. Information about family history of HTN may assist pediatricians in identifying those children who are at higher risk of confirmed HTN.

Comparison of the 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics with the fourth report and the 2016 European Society of Hypertension guidelines for the diagnosis of hypertension and the detection of left ventricular hypertrophy in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

In 2017, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended new blood pressure (BP) thresholds for the diagnosis of hypertension in children and adolescents. We assessed the impact of the AAP guideline, as compared to the Fourth Report and the 2016 European Society of Hypertension guidelines (ESH), on the prevalence of hypertension and the detection of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH).

METHODS

We systematically searched for studies evaluating the impact of the 2017 AAP guidelines on the prevalence of hypertension and LVH compared with the Fourth Report or the 2016 ESH guidelines. Meta-analysis was performed to compare the overall risk of LVH between the guidelines. We used a random-effects model to synthesize quantitative data.

RESULTS

We included 18 observational studies in the systematic review with an overall moderate to high risk of bias. The AAP guideline identified more children with hypertension than the Fourth Report and the ESH guidelines. In the meta-analysis of three observational studies, the guidelines revealed similar associations with LVH [odds ratio (OR) = 3.89, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.68-8.99 for AAP and OR = 3.19, 95% CI 1.14-8.88 for Fourth Report/ESH guidelines]. Qualitative analysis of two observational studies revealed similar predictive value of the guidelines for LVH in adult life.

CONCLUSION

Despite the higher prevalence of hypertension frequently reported by the adoption of AAP guideline BP thresholds compared with Fourth Report and the ESH guidelines, the new thresholds have not been proved to advance assessment of cardiovascular risk in terms of LVH currently the most accepted subclinical marker in youth.

Approach to Hypertension in Adolescents and Young Adults

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The prevalence of hypertension in adolescents and young adults has increased in part due to the obesity epidemic. The clinical impact and future cardiovascular risk of this underestimated public health problem is an evolving field.

RECENT FINDINGS

The development of hypertension is predicted by tracking of elevated blood pressure from childhood to adulthood. Young hypertensive individuals have lower awareness, slower diagnosis rates, and poorer blood pressure control than older patients. Increased awareness, appropriate screening, early identification, and individualized treatment approaches for elevated blood pressure could prevent development of hypertension in adulthood and cardiovascular events in later life. The optimal blood pressure management for young adults with a low 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease of < 10% remains challenging due to lack of randomized controlled trials. Evidence-based recommendations are needed to implement appropriate measures for time of treatment initiation, preferred antihypertensive drug class to be used and optimal target blood pressure level from childhood through young adulthood.

Impact of the 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics' Clinical Practice Guideline on the Identification and Risk Stratification of Youth at Increased Cardiovascular Disease Risk

The updated clinical practice guideline (CPG) published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2017 introduced significant changes to the diagnostic and evaluative approach towards children with elevated blood pressure. The goals of this review were to summarize the current evidence regarding the impact of the new CPG on the identification and risk stratification of children at increased cardiovascular disease risk. Universally, the new CPG definitions of abnormal blood pressure led to more children classified as having a hypertensive blood pressure when compared with alternative definitions. Youth who moved to a higher blood pressure stage with the CPG typically had worse cardiometabolic profiles and more comorbidites. The association of CPG-defined hypertension and concurrent intermediate cardiovascular disease outcomes such as left ventricular hypertrophy and increased pulse wave velocity remains unclear; however, longitudinal data suggests an improved identification of those at greatest risk for adult cardiovascular disease with the CPG definitions. The majority of studies reviewed used blood pressure from one encounter, not replicate blood pressures from multiple visits, to define an abnormal or hypertensive blood pressure. Therefore, future studies investigating the prevalence of confirmed hypertension and the association between confirmed hypertension and outcomes are needed to optimally characterize the performance of the new CPG on identifying children at cardiovascular disease risk.

Management of Stage 1 Hypertension in Adults With a Low 10-Year Risk for Cardiovascular Disease: Filling a Guidance Gap: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

High blood pressure (BP) is the leading cause of worldwide cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Patients and clinicians dealing with hypertension have benefited from the evidence of event-based randomized controlled clinical trials. One result from those trials has been the development of evidence-based guidelines. The commitment to using evidence from these event-based randomized trials has been a cornerstone in the development of guideline treatment recommendations. However, in some situations, evidence from event-based trials is not available to guideline writers or clinicians for assistance in treatment decision making. Such is the case for the management of many patients with stage 1 hypertension. The purpose of this scientific statement is to provide information complementary to the 2017 Hypertension Clinical Practice Guidelines for the patient with untreated stage 1 hypertension (systolic BP/diastolic BP, 130-139/80-89 mm Hg) with a 10-year risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease <10% who fails to meet the systolic BP/diastolic goal (<130/80 mm Hg) after 6 months of guideline-recommended lifestyle therapy. This statement provides evidence from sources other than event-based randomized controlled clinical trials and offers therapy options for consideration by clinicians.

Primordial Prevention of High Blood Pressure in Childhood: An Opportunity Not to be Missed

Hypertension is a condition with increased risk for subsequent adverse events, and treatment of hypertension is prescribed for primary prevention of adverse events. Primordial prevention is a concept that precedes primary prevention and focuses on risk factor prevention. Primordial prevention of hypertension consists of strategies to maintain blood pressure in a normal range and prevent development of elevated blood pressure or hypertension. Childhood is a period in which primordial prevention could be effective and if sustained throughout childhood could contribute to a healthier young adulthood. Targets for primordial prevention in childhood include preventing and reducing childhood obesity, achieving an optimal diet that includes avoiding excessive salt consumption, and removing barriers to physical activity and healthy sleep throughout childhood. Primordial prevention also includes the prenatal period wherein some maternal conditions and exposures are associated with higher blood pressure in child offspring.

Prevalence of high blood pressure among Canadian Children: 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines with the Canadian Health Measures Survey

Background

We assess the impact of the 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines on the prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) in generally healthy Canadian children and identify risk factors associated with high BP (elevated, stage 1, or stage 2 at a single visit).

Methods

A cohort of 7,387 children aged 6 to 18 years in the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS, 2007 to 2015) had BPTru oscillometry with centiles and stages assigned using both the 2017 AAP guidelines and the 2004 Fourth Report from the National Institute of Health/National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NIH/NHLBI).

Results

Although both shifted upwards significantly, mean population systolic BP and diastolic BP percentiles are now 24.2 (95% confidence interval: 23.3 to 25.2) and 46.4 (45.3 to 47.6). As a result, the population prevalence of high BP increased from 4.5% (3.9 to 5.2, NIH/NHLBI) to 5.8% (5.0 to 6.6, AAP), less than in US children measured by auscultation (14.2%, 13.4 to 15.0). Children with high BP were more likely to be overweight/obese, to be exposed to prenatal/household smoking, and to have hypertriglyceridemia, without differences in dietary salt, infant breastfeeding, neonatal hospitalizations, or exercise frequency.

Conclusion

The 2017 AAP guidelines increase the prevalence of high BP in Canadian children; Canadian prevalence appears lower than in the USA. This may reflect differences in measurement methods or in the prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity between countries, that is, 31.1% (28.9 to 33.3) versus 40.6% (39.5 to 42.0), respectively. Those with high BP were more likely to have other cardiac risk factors, including overweight/obesity, prenatal/household smoking exposure, and hypertriglyceridemia.