Pediatric hypertension: Often missed and mismanaged
Delayed recognition of hypertension in children can have lasting consequences. The resources detailed here—including Web-based calculators and at-a-glance tables—can facilitate diagnosis and treatment.
What about sodium? Encourage parents of pediatric patients with hypertension to limit their child’s salt intake to 1.2 g/d for those age 4 to 8 and 1.5 g/d for older children.42 A meta-analysis found salt reduction decreased systolic BP by 1.2 mm Hg and diastolic BP by 1.3 mm Hg.43 Though these benefits are small, reducing sodium intake can be one of several lifestyle modifications, such as increased activity and quitting smoking, that can reduce young patients’ risk of hypertension and related cardiovascular sequelae.
CORRESPONDENCE
Robert Gauer, MD, Womack Army Medical Center, 2817 Reilly Road, Fort Bragg NC 28310; robert.l.gauer2.civ@mail.mil
