Prognostic value of ambulatory blood pressure and clinical use of echocardiography to detect left ventricular hypertrophy in children evaluated for primary hypertension.

Newly updated AAP practice guidelines recommend evaluation of HTN via ABPM, with ECHO performed only at the initiation of pharmaceutical therapy. It is notable that BMI, the only risk factor of LVH found in this study, is not addressed in the current AAP guidelines for ECHO evaluation among hypertensive children. This study suggests that ECHO evaluation may be warranted in a larger subset of children as is recommended by current European Society of Hypertension pediatric guidelines.