Updated Guideline May Improve the Recognition and Diagnosis of Hypertension in Children and Adolescents; Review of the 2017 AAP Blood Pressure Clinical Practice Guideline.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Hypertension in children and adolescents is under-recognized and under-diagnosed in clinical practice. The 2017 AAP Clinical Practice Guideline for Screening and Management of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents provides updated recommendations that may improve hypertension identification and management.

RECENT FINDINGS: The AAP blood pressure guideline recommends annual screening for hypertension in children at preventive care visits and targeted routine screening in high-risk populations. A simplified blood pressure screening table is provided for easier recognition of blood pressures that may require attention. Normative blood pressure tables have been revised to include only data from normal-weight children as more representative of a healthy population. Classification of blood pressure in adolescents has been simplified to threshold values consistent with adult guidelines. The updated AAP blood pressure guideline has clarified and simplified recommendations for hypertension screening, diagnosis, and management based on a systematic review of current best evidence.