HyperChildNET

ABSTRACT

Hypertension (HTN) is now responsible for 7.1 million deaths per year worldwide, and largely contributes to cardiovascular and renal diseases such as ischemic heart disease, stroke and chronic kidney disease. Cardiovascular and renal diseases linked to high blood pressure (BP) are the first cause of mortality in Europe with an economic impact cost of approximately 1 billion euros per year. In fact, although most of the adverse outcomes occur in adulthood it has become clear that high BP is a life course problem that can become evident in early life.

While few would dispute the importance of taking effective steps to identify and manage this condition in middle-aged and older people, relatively little attention has been paid to the problem of high BP in children and adolescents.

As a consequence, despite the latest advances and the wide literature on BP in children and adolescents, the solutions to relevant questions are still pending. Thus, scientific and clinical community, as well as decision-makers, stakeholders and the overall society, must face some critical problems related to the high BP in children and adolescents as a cardiovascular risk factor.

The COST Action HyperChildNET is aimed at establishing a European sustainable and multidisciplinary network of internationally renowned researchers, clinicians, early career investigators, health economists, decision-makers, patients, regulatory bodies, nutrition & pharma companies and medical devices manufacturers focusing on acquiring a holistic understanding of the factors affecting high BP in children in order to propose and implement corrective and preventive actions both globally and locally.