Lancet Child Adolesc Health

Pediatric hypertension rates nearly double over two decades

November 18, 2025

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 96 studies (443,914 participants) found that childhood hypertension affects a growing share of the global population. Using repeated in-office measurements, pooled prevalence was 4.28%, rising sharply with age and nearly doubling between 2000 and 2020—from 3.4% to 6.5% in boys and 3.0% to 5.8% in girls. When combining in-office and out-of-office assessments, prevalence reached 6.67%. Findings highlight substantial variation by diagnostic approach and underscore the need for harmonized criteria in pediatric hypertension research.

Clinical takeaway: Prevalence trends suggest clinicians should remain vigilant for elevated blood pressure in youth, particularly adolescents, while recognizing variability in diagnostic methods.

Source:

Zhou J, et al. (2025, November 12). Lancet Child Adolesc Health. Global prevalence of hypertension among children and adolescents aged 19 years or younger: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41240955/