• Paolo Palatini.
• Studium Patavinum, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy - palatini@unipd.it.
• Panminerva Med. 2021 Dec 1; 63 (4): 436-450.

AbstractIn the last few decades there has been much debate about the management of low-risk stage 1 hypertension in youth. In this article, we review the main findings of the HARVEST cohort accrued over 30 years, highlighting the contribution of this study to the existing literature. Tachycardia and sympathetic overdrive were closely intertwined in our HARVEST participants, promoting the development of sustained hypertension, metabolic abnormalities, and increased susceptibility to vascular complications. Short-term blood pressure variability in this age group had a prognostic power even greater than that of average 24-hour blood pressure. In the HARVEST participants, changes in left ventricular anatomy and contractility were the earliest signs of hypertensive cardiac involvement, whereas left ventricular filling was only marginally affected. Our results highlighted the role of glomerular hyperfiltration in determining microalbuminuria and renal damage in the early stage of hypertension. The genetic approach provided an important contribution to risk stratification and patient management. The HARVEST confirmed the importance of maintaining a good lifestyle for preventing the onset of hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular events. Isolated systolic hypertension in the first decades of life appeared as a heterogeneous condition. To establish whether antihypertensive drug treatment should be started in this condition the clinician should consider the individual cardiovascular risk profile, the level of office mean BP and central BP. Despite recent progress in our knowledge, systolic hypertension still represents a challenging issue for the clinician. Hopefully, the HARVEST will continue to contribute data that help to fill the present gaps in evidence.

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