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March 19, 2024

hypertension 1Hypertension Canada has a long history of developing and disseminating evidence-based guidelines for primary care practitioners on blood pressure management and is likely part of the reason Canadian adults have one of the best rates of treated hypertension worldwide. Responding to requests for guidance on management of childhood blood pressure, Hypertension Canada formed a pediatric subgroup of content experts to systematically review the literature and develop guidelines for children and adolescents. The recently published guidelines provide graded recommendations for measurement and diagnosis of hypertension, as well as appropriate investigation and treatment of confirmed hypertension. There is a strong emphasis on health behavior management including achieving a healthy body weight along with dietary management and increased physical activity. Indications for pharmacologic therapy are provided as well as initial therapy options for children 12 years of age or older with primary hypertension. Embedded within all guidance descriptions are indications for referral to pediatric hypertension experts so that children with secondary forms of hypertension are identified and managed appropriately by specialists and/or any child where primary care practitioners are not comfortable with pediatric management. The guideline should empower primary care physicians to appropriately identify blood pressure abnormalities in children and investigate and manage or refer those with concerns of hypertension. Several members of CAPN were members of the Hypertension Canada pediatric subcommittee who developed these guidelines and all recommendations were vetted through the strict Hypertension Canada guideline process. The guidelines are available free as Open Access by following the link below:

  1. Dionne JM, Harris KC, Benoit G, Feber J, Poirier L, Cloutier L, Nakhla M, Rabi D, Daskalopoulou SS, Fournier A for the Hypertension Canada Guideline Committee. Hypertension Canada’s 2017 Guidelines for the Diagnosis, Assessment, Prevention, and Treatment of Pediatric Hypertension. Can J Cardiol 2017;33:577-585.

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