Still ABG, how come, have you had high blood pressure? It turns out this is the cause

Medical Video: Arterial Line Placement by James DiNardo, MD, FAAP for OPENPediatrics

High blood pressure, aka hypertension, is better known as a parent's disease. However, cases of hypertension in adolescents and children are not mere myths. Data from the 2013 Basic Health Research shows that of the 25.8 percent of total cases of national hypertension, at least 5.3% of them are held by adolescents aged 15-17 (6% male and 4.7% female). Indirectly, this number contributes to an increase in cases of hypertension globally in the future. WHO predicts that by 2025 there will be as many as 29% of adults worldwide affected by hypertension.

What causes hypertension in adolescents?

Health experts once believed that hypertension in adolescents was caused by a condition of the kidney or congenital heart since childhood. However, various further studies refute this assumption. Recent data shows that the number of adolescents who experience high blood pressure is almost as large as adults in general.

In other words, most cases of high blood pressure in adolescents can be categorized as primary hypertension. The cause of primary hypertension is not fully understood, but can be influenced by heredity (genetic) or an unhealthy lifestyle.

Some teenagers seem to inherit the tendency to get high blood pressure from their parents, while others fall victim to bad lifestyles.Most teenagers today have excess weight and lack of exercise compared to teenagers of the past generation. This then resulted in a decrease in cardiovascular fitness and the phenomenon of obesity in today's adolescents.

Excess weight is caused by a diet high in fat and calories typical of junk food in fast food restaurants. In the end, this diet will affect blood pressure which can manifest as hypertension later on.

Hormonal changes during puberty also play an important role in becoming a risk factor for hypertension in adolescents.The surge in testosterone and estrogen sex hormones is reported to be the beginning of the development of high blood pressure among teenagers. Some studies even mention that the risk of hypertension increases in ABG children who experience early puberty. Even so, the influence of hormones on blood pressure is still not fully understood.

How to diagnose hypertension in adolescents?

Diagnosing hypertension in adolescents is more complicated than diagnosing high blood pressure in adults. Among adults, there are clear guidelines for diagnosis, but do not apply to adolescents. This is mainly because teenagers do not have the same risk (such as a heart attack) as adults.

Because the diagnosis in adolescents is made by relying on statistics expressed in percentages. The official diagnosis guidelines issued by the American Heart Association are listed below:

Normal blood pressure - systolic and diastolic pressure <90 percent
Prehypertension - systolic and diastolic pressure> 90 percent but <95 percent or blood pressure> 120/80 even if <90 percent age
Stage 1 hypertension - systolic and diastolic pressure between 95 percent and 5 mmHg above 99 percent
Stage 2 hypertension - systolic and diastolic pressure> 95 percent plus 5 mmHg

From the reading above, a teenager's blood pressure may appear high but it will be fine if it is adjusted to a certain age average. Or it may appear normal but it can actually increase.

As you see it is very complicated, that's why high blood pressure should only be diagnosed by a doctor.

How to treat and prevent high blood pressure in adolescents?

Hypertension at the age of ABG will increase the risk of adolescents getting heart disease in the future. So, it is important to prevent and control high blood pressure since early. The general guidelines are exactly the same as the prevention and / or control of hypertension inadults:

Maintain a healthy weight
Eat healthy food
Do not smoke
Exercise regularly (at least 20 minutes for 3 days or more per week)
Limit alcohol and drug use - this is the main cause of hypertension among teenagers

Treatment options for adolescents with high blood pressure vary. Like adults, a more severe form of high blood pressure requires more aggressive treatment. However, lifestyle adjustments tend to be the first treatment option, even though drugs are still used when needed.

Medicines that are actually used to treat high blood pressure in adolescents are the same as adults, and the prescribed doses are usually similar to what are referred to as "delivery" or "trial" doses in adults.

Still ABG, how come, have you had high blood pressure? It turns out this is the cause

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