New preliminary research from the American Heart Association found that about 14% of children and teens in the U.S. have high blood pressure or are at risk. Experts weigh in on causes and prevention.
New research from the American Heart Association suggests that parents might want to keep a closer eye on their kids’ blood pressure. About one in seven of children and teens in the U.S. have high blood pressure or are headed toward it, according to the preliminary findings. Nearly half of U.S. adults have the condition, according to the AHA, which can raise the risk of heart attack, stroke and other events due to damaged arteries and plaque buildup.
Lead researcher Dr. Ahlia Sekkarie and her team analyzed the blood pressure and BMI of 2,600 children and teens between the ages of 8 and 19, obtained from the 2017 to 2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. The researchers found that 8.7% of youths had elevated blood pressure and 5.4% had high blood pressure, or hypertension . Blood pressure measurements were higher among boys compared to girls and continued to rise with age.
Those with severe obesity were found to have a greater prevalence of high blood pressure, while Hispanic youths had the lowest rate of elevated blood pressure. This research is considered preliminary until full results have been published in a peer-reviewed journal, the release noted.
High blood pressure can be managed or prevented through maintaining a healthy weight and eating a nutritious diet that’s high in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fats, according to the AHA. The experts also recommended limiting sodium and alcohol, not smoking and staying physically active as a means of regulating blood pressure. Dr.
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