High blood pressure can severely impair mental performance in children

Mental performance of children affected by hypertension
Not only too many adults have too high blood pressure, some adolescents also suffer from hypertension. Scientists have now found that hypertension in children and adolescents appears to affect mental performance.

Hypertension as a risk factor for deadly diseases
About 20 to 30 million people in Germany suffer from hypertension. Although hypertension is one of the most common causes of stroke or heart attack, this risk factor is far too often underestimated. Too high blood pressure can also affect the mental performance - even in children and adolescents.

Scientists have found in a study that hypertension in children and adolescents can easily reduce mental performance. (Image: Kzenon / fotolia.com)

Three to four percent of children have high blood pressure
Hypertension affects not only adults, but can also occur in children, reports the Association of Paediatricians (BVKJ) on its website "kinderaerzte-im-netz.de". For example, studies have shown that about three to four percent of children and adolescents between the ages of eight and 17 have hypertension.

A recent study, conducted by scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, concludes that hypertension in children may also reduce mental performance somewhat. The researchers published their findings in the journal "Journal of Pediatrics".

Impaired mental performance
Although blood pressure is calculated differently in adolescents as in adults, even children have high blood pressure in overweight, as US researchers recently reported. Other risk factors such as lack of exercise or family history increase the risk of hypertension.

Previous research at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York has shown that adult high blood pressure can interfere with mental abilities. And according to research by other scientists, blood pressure fluctuations endanger mental performance.

So far, only little research
However, little research has been done on the effects of hypertension on children's mental abilities.

For the current study, the experts evaluated the test results of 150 children aged 10 to 18 years. Half of the participants had currently been diagnosed with hypertension while the other 75 had normal blood pressure.

Researchers excluded children with certain problems, such as ADHD, learning difficulties or sleep disturbances, from the study to make sure that poorer cognitive performance was not based on or was influenced by other causes.

"We wanted to make sure that when we find differences in children with and without hypertension, they are associated with high blood pressure and not other factors," said co-author Dr. Land to "Medical News Today" (MNT).

Poor cognitive performance noted
In tests that required visual skills that claimed visual and verbal memory and tested mental speed, children with high blood pressure showed worse results compared to those with normal blood pressure.

It was also found that high blood pressure was more common in children with sleep disorders. Earlier research has shown that lack of sleep can affect cognitive abilities.

According to the scientists, however, the findings are "no cause for concern". The differences in cognitive abilities were small and the test scores of both groups were normal. However, as with adults, if high blood pressure is detected in children, it should be treated to reduce health risks. (Ad)