The Effect of Systemic Hypertension on the Pediatric Brain

ABSTRACT

Hypertension is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood and adolescence. Untreated hypertension adversely affects many organs including heart, brain, kidney and peripheral arteries. We reviewed the complication of central nervous system caused by pediatric hypertension. Cerebral blood flows are maintained constantly in response to changes in blood pressure by cerebral autoregulation. Severe hypertension which destructs cerebral autoregulation results in acute hypertensive encephalopathy syndrome, ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. Chronic pediatric hypertension induces learning disability and cognitive defect which are subclinical symptom prior to brain damage caused by severe hypertension. We should consider the effect of hypertension on pediatric brain because appropriate antihypertensive drugs could prevent these complications.