TOPLINE:

The prevalence of elevated blood pressure (BP) and hypertension among European children and adolescents was substantial, particularly among those with obesity, about one quarter of whom had high BP; it was more common in boys and peaked during puberty.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the prevalence of high BP and hypertension among children and adolescents aged 18 years or younger from European countries from 1990 onwards.
• They identified 56 population-based cross-sectional and cohort studies including 179,279 participants (mean age, 12 years) through a systematic literature search restricted to the PubMed database.
• Prevalence data for high BP and hypertension were stratified on the basis of obesity status, sex, age groups, the number of BP measurements, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk regions.

TAKEAWAY:

• Among children and adolescents aged 3-19 years, the pooled overall prevalence of high BP and hypertension was 8% (95% CI, 7%-10%) and 4% (95% CI, 3%-5%), respectively.
• The pooled prevalence of high BP was 7% (95% CI, 6%-9%) in boys and 5% (95% CI, 4%-7%) in girls, and the overall prevalence of hypertension was 5% (95% CI, 3%-6%) in boys and 3% (95% CI, 2%-5%) in girls.
• The pooled prevalence of high BP was higher among children with obesity than among those without obesity (23%; 95% CI, 18%-29% vs 6%; 95% CI, 4%-9%).
• Furthermore, the pooled prevalence of high BP was higher among those aged 10-13 years (8%; 95% CI, 5%-13%) than among those aged 3-9 years (6%; 95% CI, 4%-8%) and 14-19 years (6%; 95% CI, 3%-9%). Similarly, the prevalence varied across the number of BP measurements and CVD risk regions.

IN PRACTICE:

"Early intervention targeting childhood hypertension, with particular attention to children with obesity, may help prevent vascular ageing and yield long-term positive health outcomes," the authors wrote.

"These findings support the need for the development of targeted prevention programmes and sustainable healthcare systems for the future adult population," they added.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Helene Rietz, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. It was published online on October 28, 2025, in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

LIMITATIONS:

No association was found between the year of measurement and the prevalence of hypertension, possibly due to ecological bias. Some studies were excluded from the analyses due to the lack of detailed data. Factors potentially contributing to childhood hypertension, such as sedentary lifestyle, high dietary sodium intake, and low physical activity, were not covered due to limited reporting in the included studies.

DISCLOSURES:

This study received financial support through a regional agreement between Umeå University and Västerbotten county council and the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation. One author reported receiving consultancy fees and lecture honoraria from various pharmaceutical companies.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.