At present a growing body of evidence supports the view that hypertensive disease begins in childhood and that this condition is not a benign entity from the very beginning. 24-hour blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) provides new possibilities of more accurate assessment of the impact of elevated blood pressure (BP) on the cardiovascular system. Results of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) have a much better correlation with end organ damage than casual blood pressure and provide more sensitive data of the ultimate prognosis. Left ventricular hypertrophy presents an independent risk factor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the adult population. Changes in left ventricular geometry can be detected even in childhood in subjects with obesity and elevated blood pressure. ABPM and the assessment of left ventricular geometry seem to be sensitive markers of cardiovascular risk.

        Key words: ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), hypertension, children, left ventricular geometry