Study: High Blood Pressure in Children Signals Serious Heart Disease Risks

A recent study conducted by researchers at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in the United States has revealed that high blood pressure in children can be a predictive factor for developing heart disease later in life.

According to the medical journal JAMA, children with high blood pressure as early as age seven face higher mortality rates from heart disease when they reach their mid-fifties.

The study analyzed data from about 38,000 children born between 1959 and 1966, whose health conditions were tracked over several decades. By the age of 54, nearly 500 of them had died from heart-related diseases.

The head of the research team stated that children who show early signs of high blood pressure are at a 40% to 50% higher risk of death within fifty years compared to their peers with normal blood pressure.

The study also found that even children whose blood pressure readings fall within the “high-normal” range may face an increased risk of premature death due to cardiovascular causes.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is defined as a chronic condition in which blood is pumped with excessive force against the walls of the arteries. Over time, this strains the heart and damages blood vessels, raising the likelihood of heart attacks, strokes, and other circulatory problems.