Editorial Commentary The Increasing Burden of Pediatric Hypertension

In this issue of Hypertension, Tran et al1 report on theincreasing economic and medical burden of hypertension in hospitalized pediatric patients. Using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project database of pediatric hospital discharges, the authors have provided the first glimpse of the growing economic impact that hypertension is playing in children. This important study helps dispel some of the remaining myths about pediatric high blood pressure, many of which are rapidly giving way to evidence such as these new data (Table). The biggest myth, of course, is that hypertension is an adult disease with no real relevance to children. Why be concerned about pediatric hypertension? For one, it is now clear that hypertensive children do grow into hypertensive adults. A 2008 meta-analysis found 50 studies demonstrating the tracking of blood pressure from adolescence into adulthood.2 The diseases are not, however, synonymous. Children diffe