• Hypertension is the most common cause of stroke, coronary heart disease, artherosclerosis, and kidney disease in adults. The effects of hypertension can begin during childhood.
• It is possible to have high blood pressure for years without knowing. For this reason, high blood pressure is often called the silent killer.
• Children who have high blood pressure tend to be hypertensive as adults.
• Children with high blood pressure also often have other medical problems such as obesity, high blood lipids, and / or diabetes.
• Children with high blood pressure are more likely to have a definable cause for high blood pressure (such as kidney disease) than adults.