In recent research published in the journal Hypertension of American Heart Association, that are new guidelines that classify that more children with elevated blood pressure are better at predicting which kids are likely to develop heart disease when they reach adulthood. In 2017, the American Academy of Pediatrics (APP) issued the guidelines, and the American Heart Association endorsed it.

The guidelines of 2017, compared with that of 2004, increased the number of children classified as being in higher blood pressure categories, but it was not clear if the new criteria effectively identified children who were at higher risk of premature heart disease.

The senior author of the study and associate professor of epidemiology at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, Lydia A. Bazzano, M.D., Ph.D., said that after they reviewed years of information from the Bogalusa Heart Study, they concluded that compared with the children with normal blood pressure, those reclassified as having elevated or high blood pressure were more likely to develop adult high blood pressure, thickening of the heart muscle wall and the metabolic syndrome, all risk factors for heart disease.

The enrolment by the Bogalusa Heart Study included participants in childhood, and the study followed them for 36 years. The results of the childhood test on 3,940 children, 47 percent male with ages between 3 to 18 years and 35 percent African-American, and adults follow-up showed that:

  • The study identified 11 percent of the participants as having high blood pressure using 2017 guidelines, compared with 7 percent using 2004 guidelines; and
  • Using 2017 guidelines, 19 percent of those with high blood pressure developed thickening of the heart muscle during the follow-up period, compared with 12 percent of those considered to have high blood pressure under 2004 guidelines.
  • Under the new guidelines, not all children identified with high blood pressure will require medication for the condition.

Bazzano added that for most children with high blood pressure that is not caused by a separate medical condition or a medication, lifestyle changes are the cornerstone of treatment. It is essential to maintain a healthy weight, avoid excess salt, get regular physical activity and eat a healthy diet that is high in fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, lean protein and limited in salt, added sugars, saturated and trans-fats to reduce blood pressure.

The lead author stressed that lifestyle changes could improve the health of the entire family as well as the child who has been found to have high blood pressure.

The lack of data on actual heart attacks and strokes during children limited the study, and the researchers stated that they are currently collecting that data.