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Arterial Hypertension in Children

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Pediatric Pharmacotherapy

Part of the book series: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology ((HEP,volume 261))

Abstract

Pharmacological treatment of arterial hypertension in children is mainly based on individual experience, but there is evidence that blocking the angiotensin system reduces systolic and diastolic blood when compared to placebo, and these drugs are safe to use for a short duration, also in children under 6 years of age. Blocking the angiotensin system either by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or by antagonizing the angiotensin 1 receptor is effective, but did not display a consistent dose-response relationship with escalating doses, but the effective doses are known. Calcium channel antagonists are effective antihypertensives in children, but the evidence is limited. Based on small-sized studies, beta-blockers modestly reduce systolic blood pressure, but have no significant effect on diastolic blood pressure compared to placebo. They act in combination to antagonize reflex tachycardia induced by vasodilators. The most commonly used antihypertensive agents are safe to use in short-term studies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander – University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany

    Wolfgang Rascher

  2. Department for Pediatric Cardiology, University of Leipzig – Heart Center, Leipzig, Germany

    Christian Paech

Authors
  1. Wolfgang Rascher
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  2. Christian Paech
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wolfgang Rascher .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital for Children and Adolescents Center of Paediatric Research Department of Women and Child Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    Wieland Kiess

  2. Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch-Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital Tüebingen, Tüebingen, Germany, Robert Bosch Gesellschaft fuer medizinische Forschung mbH, Stuttgart, Germany

    Matthias Schwab

  3. Children’s Hospital, University of Basel Children’s Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

    Johannes van den Anker

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Rascher, W., Paech, C. (2020). Arterial Hypertension in Children. In: Kiess, W., Schwab, M., van den Anker, J. (eds) Pediatric Pharmacotherapy . Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 261. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/164_2020_359

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