There’s been a new breakthrough in tracking blood pressure in children, as it correlates to later death from heart disease. Researchers have discovered that children with high blood pressure have a much higher risk of dying from heart disease when they get older.
Scientists in the United States carried out tests on children with high blood pressure or hypertension in the 90th to 94th percentile and found that up to 50% of those kids met an early death because of cardiovascular disease. “We were surprised to find that high blood pressure in childhood was linked to serious health conditions many years later,” epidemiologist Alexa Freedman, from Northwestern University, said while presenting the study.
The researchers pored over medical data from 37,081 children born in the U.S. between 1959 and 1965. Their blood pressure was taken at age seven, and then a follow-up was performed in their early 50s. Of those in the study, 500 died of cardiovascular disease.
In childhood and adolescence, blood pressure normally increases with age and height, according to the Mayo Clinic. When a child is diagnosed with hypertension, it is because their blood pressure is above the 95th percentile. This average is measured over three visits to the doctor.
A young girl.
Findings of the study
The increase in the mortality risk was significant enough to continue investigating the link between childhood high blood pressure and early death from hypertension. “High blood pressure in children can have serious consequences throughout their lives,” Freedman said. “It is crucial to be aware of your child’s blood pressure readings.”
The study noted that 359 of the children in the study participated with siblings or cousins. The results from relatives in the study mirrored the overall data, suggesting that blood pressure, rather than diet, is key to living a long life. The data for this study were gathered in the 1950s and 1960s, and children today face different problems with the rise in obesity.
Treatment of high blood pressure in children
Treating high blood pressure in children should focus on the underlying cause and on a heart-healthy lifestyle. The Mayo Clinic advises that children and their families should adopt a lifestyle that includes the following:
- Weight loss if overweight
- Daily aerobic exercise of 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous activity every day — choose an activity that gets your heart pumping, like running, soccer, tennis, or jumping jacks
- Limit activities such as computer/video/tablet games and TV watching to less than two hours per day.
- Regular daily intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, and low-fat dairy
- Minimal to no sugar-sweetened drinks
- Increase water intake.
- Avoid foods high in salt
- Choose low-cholesterol food options
“Our results highlight the importance of screening for blood pressure in childhood and focusing on strategies to promote optimal cardiovascular health beginning in childhood,” Freedman said.
The full study has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
