Predictors of blood pressure and hypertension. General principles.

Early intervention in the treatment of hypertension can reduce the detrimental effects of high blood pressure. Therefore it is important to be able to predict the development of hypertension in individuals. A number of factors can be used as predictors of hypertension, but only childhood high blood pressure (especially in combination with obesity) is a potent predictor of future hypertension. A family history of hypertension is a contributory risk factor, as is tachycardia, but neither is as strong a predictor as a youthful elevated pressure.