Table 6. Application of the 4 Domains: Screening for High Blood Pressure in Adolescents
| Domain | Information |
|---|---|
| Potential preventable burden | High blood pressure in adolescence is a risk factor for hypertension in adulthood.
Hypertension in adults increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The potential of effective interventions in adolescents to prevent future morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular disease is high. |
| Potential harms | A potential harm of screening adolescents for high blood pressure is labeling.
Pharmacologic treatment of high blood pressure has side effects. The potential long-term harms of pharmacologic treatment of high blood pressure when started at a young age are not known. |
| Costs | Measuring blood pressure requires less than 3 minutes of nurse/medical assistant time and the same amount of additional patient time. |
| Current practice | Routine measurement of blood pressure in adolescents is common practice. |
Current as of: February 2009