High blood pressure is a health concern most often faced by middle-aged adults and older adults, however, new research indicates that this silent killer is now affecting the lives of American children at an alarming rate. According to recent studies, children under the age of 8 are associated with high blood pressure, and a large percentage is about to grow.
These findings are from two studies presented at the American Heart Association’s 2024 Blood Pressure Scientific Session in early September. Although both studies are preliminary research drafts and have not yet been peer-reviewed and published, they highlight the importance of youth-focused prevention efforts and policies to implement lifestyle changes later in life.
High blood pressure among young people is related to social factors
Both studies used data from the 2017 to 2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The first study1 23% of young people between the ages of 18 and 39 have high blood pressure, and social needs, such as social determinants of health, have been analyzed to see how they can play a role in the development of this condition.
These include “low education, low income, no health insurance, food insecurity, and no or limited employment.” According to the AHA press release:2
“The authors defined low education as less than a high school education, low income as household income below 100% of the federal poverty level, low or very low family food insecurity in the past 12 months, and no/limited work seeking or not working – those who are retired or still in school. without adding
The researchers found that younger people with high blood pressure were more likely to be uninsured, come from low-income families, and be food insecure compared to older adults.3
But these social factors are not only related to high blood pressure; They also actively obstruct the leadership. Those with high blood pressure and two or more social demands were 80% more likely to develop untreated and 70% more likely to develop uncontrolled hypertension compared to those without social demands.
However, the researchers note that since their study was not a randomized controlled trial – which means it does not determine exact cause and effect – the study only points to an association. Thomas Alexander, BA, one of the study’s authors and an MD-candidate at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, commented.
“The social determinants of health are the social conditions that arise from where people are born, live, study, work and grow up. Social needs and young adults with high blood pressure need additional support to achieve blood pressure goals.
Our study highlights the importance of addressing these social issues through targeted public health strategies to improve outcomes and prevent long-term complications of heart disease and stroke in this vulnerable population.4
School-age children and teenagers are dealing with high blood pressure.
In the second study5 The researchers looked at blood pressure levels in the younger age group, which included elementary school-aged children and teenagers. They looked at blood pressure and body mass index of 2,600 children ages 8 to 19 and found that 8.7 percent had high blood pressure and 5.4 percent had high blood pressure.6
The researchers analyzed the data based on the children’s gender, ethnicity, and BMI to determine how these factors affected the risk of high blood pressure. They found that boys are more likely to develop high blood pressure than girls and that it increases with age. Hispanic children had the lowest prevalence of hypertension, while those with obesity had the highest prevalence.7
Age also affects blood pressure among young people. The study found that high blood pressure increases with age. 3.3% of participants aged 8 to 12 had high blood pressure, but this rate rose to 16.7% of those aged 18 to 19.
Dr. Ahlia Sekari, an epidemiologist in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention and lead researcher of the second study, says.
“High blood pressure can begin in childhood, and is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. It is important to monitor blood pressure in youth, because young people who have heart disease and stroke are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Childhood is a healthy way to reduce these risks.” It’s a good time to learn.”8
Sekari says childhood obesity, which is linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD), plays a major role in high blood pressure. She notes that many teenagers “fall through the cracks.” When they transition from pediatrics, they don’t visit their primary care physician regularly, which causes them to miss routine checkups.9
High blood pressure in children is associated with later cardiovascular diseases
According to the CDC, heart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the United States, killing one person every 33 seconds.10 As high blood pressure is one of the risk factors associated with heart disease, the increasing rate among young people deserves urgent attention.
When you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, the workload on your heart muscle increases – this can lead to heart failure and damage to your arteries, which supply the muscles with oxygen, putting you at risk of heart failure. Your small arteries can become damaged, which can affect other parts of your body, such as your kidneys and eyes.11
Elaine Urbina, MD, director of preventive cardiology at the Heart Institute at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital of Ohio, said in an AAA press release that many families and primary care providers are unaware that high blood pressure can begin in childhood, especially in adolescence, and that poor lifestyle habits can lead to high blood pressure. And overweight and obesity are risk factors.12
“Blood pressure needs to be regulated. Otherwise, we will have people with heart attacks and strokes at a young age.” She comments.13
In the year In 2023, Urbina and a team of researchers wrote a study published in the journal Hypertension.14 About primary blood pressure among young people. They found that young people who develop primary hypertension in childhood or adolescence are more likely to maintain it in adulthood and have an increased risk of CVD.
The study also identified other risk factors associated with high blood pressure in childhood, in addition to obesity; These include sleep, poor diet, exercise and environmental stress.
“In addition to prevention, routine clinical BP monitoring of all pediatric patients with a standard measurement protocol is recommended to identify children with elevated BP and hypertension. Adolescent BP <120/80 mm Hg entering adulthood is the best goal." He concluded by saying.15
Make healthy changes to your child’s diet
According to the studies, being overweight or obese is one of the significant factors that make children vulnerable to high blood pressure. According to the CDC, 14.7 million American children ages 2 to 19 are considered obese—that’s 19.7%, or about one-fifth of all children in the country.16
The main reason for this is the excessive consumption of processed foods and junk food that are prevalent in today’s modern diet. When children are constantly eating these highly processed foods, not only are they consuming “empty calories” that lead to weight gain, but they are also causing serious health problems based on mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance.
The main reason for this is that most processed foods are loaded with seed oils Linoleic Acid (LA). This polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) is the most dangerous substance in the modern diet, and it is worse than sugar.
LA is a major contributor to all diseases, including obesity. Therefore, eliminating all seed oils from your child’s diet or limiting them to 5 grams (or even better, 2 grams) per day is an important strategy to reduce their risk of obesity and high blood pressure.
Eating too many processed foods that contain processed table salt can cause your child’s sodium-to-potassium ratio to become unbalanced, which is a major contributor to high blood pressure.
Contrary to popular belief, a low-salt diet is not the key to treating high blood pressure. When salt intake is low, the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) worsens – meaning an increased risk of heart disease instead. Salt deficiency increases insulin resistance because one of the body’s ways to conserve salt is by increasing insulin levels.
Instead, you want to optimize your sodium-to-potassium ratio. Potassium works in your body to relax the walls of blood vessels, protect your muscles from constriction, and lower blood pressure. To do this, make sure you and your baby eat whole, unprocessed foods, completely organic and produced for maximum nutrient content. This type of diet naturally provides high amounts of potassium in relation to sodium.
According to the AHA, “Potassium-rich foods help control blood pressure by blunting the effects of sodium. The more potassium you eat, the more sodium your body removes.”17
Sleep deprivation is linked to high blood pressure in children.
Assessing your child’s bedtime habits is also important to monitor their blood pressure. In the year In a study published in the June 2024 Journal of Pediatrics,18 Researchers have found that children who do not get enough sleep on a regular basis are more likely to develop high blood pressure.
The sample consisted of 539 children and adolescents aged 4 to 22 years, with an average age of 14.6). 56% of these patients met the criteria for hypertension. In addition to recording their sleep and wake times, the study participants also wore blood pressure monitors that provided continuous readings 24/7.19
The average sleep time of the researchers was 9.1 hours. Depending on the age, this is one to four hours less than recommended. They also found a relationship between longer sleep duration and better blood pressure measurements during the day. Meanwhile, later sleep onset was associated with worse daytime blood pressure measurements.20
“Longer sleep duration and earlier bedtime are associated with lower blood pressure. This suggests that sleep facilitation may be an important target for blood pressure management interventions.” He concluded by saying.21
According to Dr. Amy Kogon, assistant professor at the Perelman School of Medicine in Pennsylvania and lead author of the study, one-third of children in elementary school don’t get the recommended amount of sleep. When most doctors give advice to parents about high blood pressure, they don’t give enough advice about sleep.
“We usually target things like diet and exercise. That’s another thing parents can think about, especially if the child has high blood pressure,” she says.22
One of the best strategies to improve your child’s sleep is to reduce their use of gadgets, especially at bedtime. A recent experiment on 10 teenagers shows that when they are seen. They stopped using their smartphones for a monthOne of the main benefits was improved sleep time – teenagers experienced longer sleep times and better sleep quality during detox.
However, there are other helpful ways to help your baby sleep better. For detailed instructions, I recommend reading my article, “The top 33 tips to improve your sleep routine.”
