High blood pressure at a young age increases the risk of heart disease

How does high blood pressure affect your health at a young age??

High blood pressure is known to increase the risk of heart disease. Researchers have now found that if people suffer from high blood pressure at a young age, it significantly increases the likelihood of later heart disease.

Duke University researchers have found in their current research that high blood pressure at a young age is associated with an increased risk of heart disease later in life. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "JAMA".

When does high blood pressure begin??

Experts from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association have assigned a normal blood pressure value of 120/80 mmHg. But when does a high blood pressure start? A permanent blood pressure over 140/90 mmHg is referred to in Germany as hypertension.

More than 4,800 subjects participated in the study

For their study, the researchers examined a total of more than 4,800 adults. In these subjects, blood pressure measurements were taken before the age of 40. About half of the participants were African Americans and 55 percent were women. The subjects were first grouped by the scientists in four different groups, depending on their blood pressure. The physicians then monitored these people for a period of 19 years.

How much was the risk of heart disease increased?

After analyzing the results, researchers found that people with higher blood pressure before the age of 40 are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack or stroke, compared to under-40s with normal blood pressure. In fact, higher blood pressure was associated with up to 3.5 times the risk of heart disease and stroke before the age of 40, scientists explain.

Further research is needed

This is a first step in judging whether elevated blood pressure in young people is a potential precursor to serious problems, says study author Dr. Yuichiro Yano from Duke University. New blood pressure guidelines can be helpful in identifying people at risk for cardiovascular events. The scientists now hope to continue their research to confirm their findings and to encourage healthcare providers to better counsel younger people with high blood pressure or high blood pressure. (As)