To Screen or Not to Screen? The Value of Routine Blood Pressure Measurement in Children and Adolescents

Most pediatric primary care providers will take care of patients with elevated blood pressure; however, identification of these patients can be problematic. Contradictory recommendations from consensus organizations regarding the utility of pediatric blood pressure screening make this task more difficult. Choosing which recommendation to follow requires a careful analysis of each recommendation’s background and the evidence supporting it. In this review, we examine the association between elevated blood pressure in childhood and adverse cardiovascular outcomes in adults, as well as the evidence linking blood pressure treatment to the regression of target-organ damage. Although there is clearly a need for ongoing research to address gaps in the evidence, we believe that the current body of literature argues for universal blood pressure screening in children and adolescents. © 2016, Springer Science + Business Media New York.