Two new studies reveal that there is an epidemic of high blood pressure among adolescents and children in the United States.
The first study found that about a quarter of people between the ages of 18 and 39 have high blood pressure, or a blood pressure reading above the healthy level of 130/80.
According to a second study, blood pressure is also a problem for school-age children: Researchers found that about 14 percent of children between the ages of 8 and 19 have high blood pressure, or hypertension.
Both studies were presented Friday at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in Chicago. Such studies should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
“The prevalence of hypertension among young adults is significant, and social determinants of health increase the risk of hypertension and associated premature cardiovascular disease,” said Bonita Faulkner, PhD, chair of the AHA’s 2023 Scientific Statement on Pediatric Hypertension writing committee.
In both studies, researchers used data collected by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2017 to 2020 as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
The first study looked at young people’s blood pressure levels as well as five factors that can affect their health: low education levels, low income, lack of health insurance, food insecurity and little or no employment.
“Social determinants of health are the social conditions that result from where people are born, live, learn, work and mature,” said researcher Thomas Alexander, a medical student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
About 23 percent of young adults have hypertension and are more likely to be uninsured, food insecure and have financial difficulties than older adults, the researchers found.
The researchers concluded that these factors appear to interfere with the ability to control blood pressure.
Results showed that adults with two or more unmet social needs were about 80% more likely to have untreated blood pressure and about 70% more likely to have uncontrolled blood pressure.
“Young people with high social needs and high blood pressure need additional support to reach their blood pressure goals,” Alexander said in the AHA news release. “Our study highlights that addressing these social determinants through targeted public health strategies is essential to improving outcomes and preventing long-term heart disease and stroke complications in this vulnerable population.”
In the second study, researchers found that about 9 percent of children ages 8 to 19 had high blood pressure, with more than 5 percent having high blood pressure, based on guidelines set by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“Young people with high blood pressure are more likely to have high blood pressure as adults, putting them at greater risk for heart disease and stroke,” said Arya Seckerly, a heart disease and stroke epidemiologist-researcher at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About 14 percent of boys and 7 percent of girls had high blood pressure, compared with 3 percent and 4 percent, respectively, the researchers said.
Hypertension was more prevalent in severely obese children, and the rate of elevated blood pressure increased with age.
“A healthy diet and regular exercise are important for reducing the risk of high blood pressure,” says Seckerly. “Ensuring that young people eat a healthy diet and get enough exercise is critical to preventing heart disease and stroke.”
More Information
The Mayo Clinic has more information on high blood pressure .
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