Management of hypertension in children and adolescents

Secondary causes of hypertension are more frequent in children than in adults; however, essential hypertension does occur in the young. The decision to search for secondary causes rests on the age of the child, the severity of hypertension, the presence of clues in the history or physical examination, and the family history. If nonpharmacologic measures fail to control hypertension and if acute hypertension is not present, a stepped-care approach is suggested.