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More Kids Taking Blood Pressure Meds
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More Kids Taking Blood Pressure Meds
NATION - 4/7/2009
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The number of children and teens prescribed medicine to treat high blood pressure or diabetes is on the rise. Researchers analyzed the prescription records of more than five million commercially insured individuals ages six to 18 covered by a pharmacy benefits manager. The prevalence of children and teens who were prescribed medications for hypertension (high blood pressure), dyslipidemia (abnormal cholesterol) or diabetes (including insulin) increased over a four-year period by 15.2 percent, from 3.3 per 1,000 youths to 3.8 per 1,000 youths.
The study indicated that the increasing use of oral anti-diabetic and antihypertensive pharmacotherapy among children and adolescents indicated that there was either an increased awareness of treatment needs or increased incidence of cardiovascular risk factors.
When assessed separately, cholesterol-controlling therapy was uncommon (prescribed to 0.2 per 1,000 youths overall) and declined 22.9 percent during the study period. According to the study, the decrease in treatment of dyslipidemia may reflect the ongoing controversy regarding statin use.
The study is published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals and was conducted by a researcher at CVS Caremark, a company that owns and operates drug stores.
Check these links for more information about Hypertension: High Blood Pressure, Diabetes and Cholesterol.
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