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Date of Award
Spring 2021
Degree Name
Master of Medical Science (Physician Assistant)
Department
Physician Assistant; College of Health Sciences
First Advisor
Jodie Freeman, PA-C, MMSc
Abstract
Due to the decreased prevalence of hypertension in adolescent patients, and low rates of cardiovascular sequelae prior to adulthood, research on hypertension in adolescents is scant when compared with adults. However, in the current landscape of increasing rates of pediatric obesity, and mortality from heart disease, the benefit to understanding how best to manage hypertension as early on as possible can not be understated. To this end, both lifestyle modifications and pharmacotherapy have been shown to be effective treatments in the management of hypertension in adolescents, but research directly comparing the efficacy and safety of the two methods in the obese pediatric patient is lacking. The current study aims to compare the popular DASH diet and pharmacologic treatment in an effort to see which modality of therapy is best when attempting to mitigate long-term cardiovascular end organ damage in obese adolescents.
Recommended Citation
Weekes, Clifford, "Treating Hypertension in Obese Adolescents – DASH Diet vs. Pharmacologic Treatment and the Eventual Progression of Cardiovascular End Organ Effects" (2021). Capstone Showcase. 9.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2021/pa/9
Treating Hypertension in Obese Adolescents – DASH Diet vs. Pharmacologic Treatment and the Eventual Progression of Cardiovascular End Organ Effects
Due to the decreased prevalence of hypertension in adolescent patients, and low rates of cardiovascular sequelae prior to adulthood, research on hypertension in adolescents is scant when compared with adults. However, in the current landscape of increasing rates of pediatric obesity, and mortality from heart disease, the benefit to understanding how best to manage hypertension as early on as possible can not be understated. To this end, both lifestyle modifications and pharmacotherapy have been shown to be effective treatments in the management of hypertension in adolescents, but research directly comparing the efficacy and safety of the two methods in the obese pediatric patient is lacking. The current study aims to compare the popular DASH diet and pharmacologic treatment in an effort to see which modality of therapy is best when attempting to mitigate long-term cardiovascular end organ damage in obese adolescents.