The problem is that initially there is no problem. Like most adults, children and adolescents do not initially notice that their blood pressure is elevated. That is precisely why paediatricians have to be particularly careful, says Robert Dalla Pozza, senior physician in the department for pediatric cardiology and pediatric intensive care at the Munich Klinikum Großhadern. “Because the consequences of untreated high blood pressure can be particularly far-reaching in children and adolescents.” This is because increased blood pressure over time damages the vessels and promotes deposits. If this development begins in childhood and is left untreated, the secondary diseases can appear earlier. The risk of a heart attack or stroke, for example – a typical side effect of prolonged high blood pressure – can then increase correspondingly earlier.
Children and young people are increasingly suffering from high blood pressure – health
