In children aged 6 to 16 with high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyle, high sugar and salt consumption and excess body weight are the main causes of this high blood pressure in 9 out of 10 cases. European experts came to this conclusion in a summary in the specialist journal “European Heart Journal”.
Image by Gordon Johnson & OpenClipart-Vectors on Pixabay from Pixabay
With the increasing incidence of obesity in childhood, more and more children and adolescents are at increased risk of high blood pressure. It is estimated that regarding 5% of overweight children and adolescents and regarding 15% of severely overweight children and adolescents are affected by high blood pressure. “Untreated high blood pressure in adolescents usually continues into adulthood – similar to being overweight – and then leads to further cardiovascular problems. The treacherous thing is that high blood pressure usually does not cause any symptoms. Sometimes headaches, nosebleeds, dizziness, vision problems, concentration problems, rapid shortness of breath on exertion, chest pain, palpitations and fainting spells can be signs of this. If you have these signs or are overweight, regular blood pressure checks are advisable,” explains Dr. Herman Josef Kahl, paediatrician and member of the expert panel of the professional association of paediatricians (BVKJ).
With hypertension, the authors of the publication recommend, first of all, a change in lifestyle. When the whole family is involved, it is easier for affected children to achieve the goals that have been set. Every family member can benefit from this. Eating a healthy diet with fresh fruits and vegetables, foods rich in fiber, reducing salt and sugar intake, avoiding sweetened beverages and products with saturated fats is an important pillar of the hypertension control program. Another pillar is a healthy amount of exercise. Affected adolescents should engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least one hour. Sedentary or sedentary hobbies should be reduced to less than two hours a day. “Families can get support from their paediatrician. He or she may be able to recommend a nutritionist and suggest suitable sports. If high blood pressure persists, a pediatric and adolescent cardiologist should be consulted, as medication may be required. If an adolescent is severely overweight and has difficulty losing weight, rehabilitation may make sense,” says Dr. Kahl, who is also a child and adolescent cardiologist.
Quellen: Eur Heart J., ScienceDaily
Source: Professional Association of Pediatricians (BVKJ)
Internet: www.kinderaerzte-im-netz.de
