The number of children and teens prescribed medicine to treat high blood pressure or diabetes appears to have increased between 2004 and 2007. Joshua N. Liberman, Ph.D., of CVS Caremark in Hunt Valley, Md., and colleagues analyzed the prescription records of more than 5 million commercially insured individuals ages 6 to 18 covered by a pharmacy benefits manager.

The prevalence of children and teens who were prescribed medications for hypertension (high blood pressure), dyslipidemia (abnormal cholesterol) or diabetes (including insulin) increased 15.2 percent, from 3.3 per 1,000 youths in November 2004 to 3.8 per 1,000 youths in June 2007. "The increasing use of oral anti-diabetic and antihypertensive pharmacotherapy among children and adolescents, especially in the younger age group, indicates either an increased awareness of treatment needs or increased incidence of cardiovascular risk factors typically associated with adult populations," the authors write.

When assessed separately, cholesterol-controlling therapy was uncommon (prescribed to 0.2 per 1,000 youths overall) and declined 22.9 percent during the study period. "The decrease in treatment of dyslipidemia may reflect the ongoing controversy regarding statin use," the authors conclude.

The results indicate that these drugs are not currently being overused in this population, writes Stephen R. Daniels, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, in an accompanying editorial. "While the potential for misuse of these medications remains, that does not appear to be happening at this time. Nevertheless, it will be important to collect data in an ongoing manner to monitor use of these medications but also to identify appropriateness of use and ultimate reduction of risk factor levels in children and adolescents."