SynthesisArchives of disease in childhood2026
Prevalence of high blood pressure and hypertension among children and adolescents in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Archives of disease in childhood, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Telemedicine in Pediatric Cardiology: Current Applications, Clinical Impact, and Future Perspectives.Journal of personalized medicine · 2026Review
- A novel model for percentile-based oscillometric blood pressure reference values in Danish children: implications for the use of international standards in pediatric screening.European journal of pediatrics · 2026Article
- Anthropometric and Body Composition Correlates of Hypertension in Children and Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
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Abstract
objectiveThis systematic review and meta-analysis aims to estimate the prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) and hypertension among European children and adolescents (1990-present).
methodsWe included population-based cross-sectional and cohort studies reporting BP in children (≤18 years) from European countries, excluding studies from electronic health records or specialist care referrals. PubMed was searched on 27 January 2025. Risk of bias was assessed with the Hoy
resultsWe analysed 56 studies (n=179 279, mean age, 12 years) from 18 European countries. The prevalence of high BP was 8% (95% CI 7% to 10%), higher in boys (7%, 95% CI 6% to 9%) than in girls (5%, 95% CI 4% to 7%). Among children with obesity, prevalence was 23% (95% CI 18% to 29%) vs 6% (95% CI 4% to 9%) in children without obesity. Prevalence was highest in 10-13 years old (8% (95% CI 5% to 13%) compared with 6% (95% CI 4% to 8%) and 6% (95% CI 3% to 9%) in 3-9 years old and 14-19 years old, respectively. The prevalence of hypertension was 4% (95% CI 3% to 5%). Risk of bias was judged to be moderate or high for most studies, with variability in BP measurement methods.
conclusionsThe prevalence of high BP and hypertension among European children and adolescents is considerable, particularly among those with obesity, where one-fourth has high BP. It is more common in boys and peaks during puberty. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to methodological limitations of the included studies.
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