Sizable number of young adults and children now have high blood pressure, study says

BOSTON - High blood pressure doesn't only affect middle-aged or older adults. A new study finds a sizable number of young people have it too.

It's concerning because kids and young adults who have high blood pressure are more likely to have it as they age, putting them at greater risk for heart disease and stroke. According to a new study presented by the American Heart Association, nearly 23% of young adults ages 18 to 39 have high blood pressure. They are also more likely to report being uninsured, low-income, and having food insecurity.

In another study, researchers found that nearly 9% of children and adolescents ages 8 to 19 have elevated blood pressure, and nearly 5% have high blood pressure. Scientists said these findings stress the need for kids and young adults to have access to quality healthcare that includes counseling on diet and exercise and routine screening and early treatment for high blood pressure.

In:
• Health
• American Heart Association
• Children

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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