AAP Announces New Guidelines on Diagnosing High Blood Pressure

Black and White Blood Pressure Kit” by James Baker licensed under CC BY 2.0

Source: CBS News

The American Academy of Pediatrics announced the release of new guidelines on diagnosing high blood pressure in children and teens with “normal” weight levels, compared to previous tables which only included high blood pressure measurements in overweight or at-risk children.

The guidelines are an update to guidelines released more than a decade ago, in 2004.

Experts in the field said that the new guidelines will help with early detection and prevention since the tables now measure blood pressure according to a patient’s weight. This means they are likely to not overlook high blood pressure in a patient who is not necessarily overweight or at-risk.

“By catching the condition early, we are able to work with the family to manage it, whether that’s through lifestyle changes, medication, or a combination of treatments,” said Dr. Joseph Flynn, co-chair of the subcommittee.

Read full story at: CBS News

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