Essential hypertension vs. secondary hypertension among children.

Background: The aim was to determine the proportions and correlates of essential hypertension among children in a tertiary pediatric hypertension clinic.

Methods: We evaluated 423 consecutive children and collected demographic and clinical history by retrospective chart review.

Results: We identified 275 (65%) hypertensive children (blood pressure >95th percentile per the "Fourth Report on the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents") from 423 children referred to the clinic for history of elevated blood pressure.