High Blood Pressure Threatens Young Americans

Early screening and treatment of children for high blood pressure may save kids from a lifetime of cardiovascular disease, experts recommend.

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We often think of high blood pressure as a malady that affects middle-aged and older adults. However, two studies presented at Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2024 in September found that it affects young adults and even children more often than we expect, reported a press release.

The condition in early life is a major predisposing factor for the development of cardiovascular disease.

Together, the studies noted an association between high blood pressure and unmet social needs, such as limited employment, lack of insurance, food insecurity, and low income.

Findings

Data from both studies came from 2017–2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data sets.

The first study involving adults aged 18 to 39 found that 23 percent had a reading of 130/80 or higher.

Current guidelines for adults from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association classify stage 1 high blood pressure as having top or bottom readings above or equal to 130/80 millimeters of mercury (Hg mm). Stage 2 involves having top and bottom readings above or equal to 140/90 Hg mm.

The second study involving youth aged 8 to 19 found that 8.7 percent had blood pressure elevated above normal, and 5.4 percent had high blood pressure. These determinations were defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for age-sex-height percentiles.

Underlying Social Factors

Earlier investigations have indicated that unmet social needs can affect young adults with high blood pressure, stated the researchers. For this reason, the first study assessed exposure to five social factors (social determinants of health) that can affect health:

•   Low family income, defined as less than 100 percent of the federal poverty level
•   Low education, defined as not having a high school diploma
•   Low food security, defined as having low or very low household food security within the past year
•   No or limited employment, defined as not having a job or looking for a job
•   No health insurance

“Social determinants of health are the social conditions arising from where people are born, live, learn, work and mature,” study author Thomas Alexander of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago said in the press release.

The first study found that the young adults with high blood pressure were more likely to have food insecurity and low income, as well as have no health insurance. Also, those having two or more unmet social needs were approximately 80 percent more likely to be untreated and approximately 70 percent more likely to have uncontrolled high blood pressure.

An issue compounding the problem is that the social needs of adults also affect their children.

“The heightened risk is not limited to young adults because young adults commonly have children; and children of young adults who are uninsured, food insecure and have low income will represent another generation that will have similar health consequences of social determinants of health,” Dr. Bonita Falkner, chair of the writing committee for the American Heart Association’s 2023 scientific statement on pediatric hypertension, added in the press release.

Risk Factors in Young Adults

A 2023 review that looked at risk factors of young adults with high blood pressure concluded that they had higher rates of:

• Cigarette smoking
• Obesity
• Unhealthy cholesterol levels
• Excessive salt consumption

In addition to high salt consumption, the review found other dietary risk factors. The majority of young adults with high blood pressure had diets low in carbohydrates and protein but high in saturated fat. Eating fewer fruits and vegetables was also linked to elevated blood pressure.

A lack of exercise is another major contributor, as most of the individuals in the review had sedentary lifestyles.

Risks of High Blood Pressure in Youth

“High blood pressure, even in younger populations, significantly increases the risk of long-term cardiovascular disease,” Joni Ogle, who holds a doctorate in cardiovascular science, and has been involved in research and patient care, told The Epoch Times in an email.

“Over time, elevated pressure damages artery walls, causing them to stiffen. This can lead to conditions like atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes. Additionally, it can strain the heart, forcing it to work harder and potentially leading to heart failure,” she stated.

Ogle said that high blood pressure in youth is a silent but powerful predictor of future heart problems. Youth is typically when people feel invincible, so many don’t realize the long-term impact of conditions like high blood pressure. The earlier the condition starts, the longer the exposure to its damaging effects.

“I’ve seen patients in their early 20s already showing signs of heart disease due to prolonged hypertension starting in adolescence,” she said. “One patient had elevated blood pressure through their teenage years and had developed early-stage heart failure by age 30.

What Can Help?

Part of the social needs linked to high blood pressure involve limited access to health care. Thus, the researchers recommended that improved access to early screening and treatment for high blood pressure may help avoid serious health consequences.

Ogle also advocates preventive measures. “High blood pressure is preventable in many situations, especially if the possible lifestyle predictors are well handled. One can reduce his or her risk of developing cardiovascular disease by measures, such as giving up smoking, cutting down on salt consumption, and engaging in moderate exercises, she said.”

How much of a difference can such preventive practices make? A 2023 clinical trial assessed the effect of one week of a low-sodium diet. This intervention resulted in a blood pressure reduction of 8 Hg mm compared to a high-sodium diet.

To be sure, exercise can’t be overlooked. A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis found that exercise lowered 24-hour top blood pressure reading by 5.4 Hg mm and bottom reading by 3.0 Hg mm.

“Early lifestyle changes can make a huge difference in preventing irreversible damage,” Ogle concluded.