Understanding Hypertension in Children: Navigating Health Risks and Prevention Strategies

High blood pressure (BP) isn’t just an issue for adults; it can affect children too. Yet, this condition often goes unnoticed in younger populations. This is where HyperChildNET steps in—creating Europe’s first comprehensive network dedicated to tackling high blood pressure in young people.

Research by HyperChildNET suggests that maintaining healthy blood pressure from childhood through primordial prevention could lead to healthier adults and lower healthcare costs. Professor Empar Lurbe, who chairs HyperChildNET at the University of Valencia, emphasizes: “The necessity for preventing, diagnosing, and treating high BP in children and adolescents is absolute; its absence hinders consensus across different research domains and detracts from efforts to introduce changes in clinical practice.”

HyperChildNET has developed innovative tools and insights for blood pressure management in children. Accurate readings require special attention and the right tools. The network first tested and validated blood pressure monitors designed specifically for children, ensuring reliable measurements across various age groups. They also built Europe’s largest database with information from 39,000 children in eight countries, which helped them understand how blood pressure varies among young populations.

HyperChildNET has developed three free online calculators—Pediatric office blood pressure calculator; Pediatric 24-hour ambulatory BP calculator; and Pediatric home BP calculator—that take into account a child’s age, gender, and height when assessing blood pressure. These tools have changed the way healthcare providers work, with more than 10,000 healthcare professionals worldwide using them to quickly assess readings and track treatment progress.

HyperChildNET has uncovered important health implications of high blood pressure in children. They found that 20% of children with high blood pressure develop thicker heart muscles. High blood pressure also affects blood vessel function and mental performance, but when treated, cognitive abilities often improve.

To advance treatment research despite limited clinical trial opportunities in children, HyperChildNET proposed innovative solutions such as personalized trials that track individual responses to treatment and incorporating digital health technologies for better monitoring.

HyperChildNET has revolutionized pediatric hypertension education by making it accessible in multiple languages across Europe and beyond. Its groundbreaking joint statement with the European Academy of Paediatrics, representing 67 pediatric societies, has become a global resource downloaded over 5,500 times worldwide.

The network’s educational materials are engaging and available in simple, accessible language. They include videos where young people actively explain the condition to their peers. This strategy has attracted more than 100 pediatricians to interactive webinars and increased website visits by 93,000.

HyperChildNET culminates its efforts annually with European HyperChildNET Week in late November. The network’s success is attributed not just to scientific excellence but also the strong collaboration and friendship between all its members, making it a powerful force for developing new strategies and moving forward in the field of pediatric hypertension.

The Action has collaborated successfully with industry players like OMRON Healthcare Europe BV. They have offered free training through their academy at Amsterdam headquarters, bridging research and real-world implementation. Additionally, HyperChildNET members are participating in the eprObes project—a Horizon Europe grant aimed at preventing childhood obesity from conception to adolescence.

Professor Lurbe concludes: “The joint effort within the strong collaboration and friendship between all members of HyperChildNET is why we have become a solid, powerful European network that allows us to develop new strategies and move forward in the field.”