HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS REVIEW
What is already known
• Cardiovascular disease begins early in life and has a long manifest stage before clinical end-points such as myocardial infarction and stroke present.
• Evidence from prospective cohort studies show that pediatric blood pressure levels predict blood pressure status and early preclinical markers of CV disease measured decades later in adulthood.
• Because of these data, the National High Blood Pressure Education Program, and National Heart Lung and Blood Institute have issued guidelines on the screening and treatment of children with elevated blood pressure levels.
Future research directions
• Data are needed to identify the best blood pressure cut-points, combination of blood pressure measurements, and critical age or age window for blood pressure screening among children for future risk prediction of adult cardiovascular health.
• Because long-term interventions are unlikely to span childhood to adulthood, observational data on the factors that predict resolution of elevated blood pressure between childhood and adulthood and impact of resolution on adult cardiovascular health are needed.
• Data linking childhood blood pressure to clinical cardiovascular end-points are needed.