Almost half of the adults in the United States are battling high blood pressure, a condition that’s a big red flag for heart attacks, strokes, kidney issues, and other serious health troubles. When doctors check blood pressure, they look at two numbers.
High blood pressure is when the first number (systolic) is 130 or more, or the second number (diastolic) is 80 or more. This info comes from heart health experts like the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology.
A recent study from Rutgers University has shed new light on this issue. They discovered that young men and older women are often dealing with high blood pressure that isn’t kept in check, even though they’re taking medicine for it.
Especially, women over 70 and men under 50 need to keep a closer eye on their blood pressure.
The researchers didn’t just make a guess; they looked deeply into health data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey spanning from 1999 to 2018. This huge study included over 13,000 people who were taking medication for high blood pressure.
Here’s what they found: 34% of these people still had uncontrolled high blood pressure. The study showed that in the age group of 20-29, men were 59% more likely than women to have this issue.
The gap was even wider in the 30s, with men 70% more likely. By their 40s, the risk was still 47% higher for men compared to women.
However, in their 50s and 60s, the situation seemed more balanced between men and women. But once people hit 70 and above, the tables turned.
Women in this age group were 29% more likely to have uncontrolled high blood pressure. And for those in their 80s or older, the risk was 63% higher for women compared to men.
This study is a wake-up call.
We need to pay more attention to high blood pressure, especially among older women and younger men. There’s still a lot we need to understand about why this is happening.
There are other interesting findings related to blood pressure. For instance, eating too much black licorice can dangerously raise blood pressure. On a more positive note, certain plant nutrients might help reduce high blood pressure.
For those interested in understanding more about living with high blood pressure or exploring natural remedies like herb medicines, there’s plenty of recent research out there.
The findings of this study were presented at the American Heart Association’s virtual Hypertension Scientific Sessions.
The lead researcher, Dr. Aayush Visaria, along with his team, has opened new doors in understanding high blood pressure and who is most at risk.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing vitamin D could improve blood pressure in people with diabetes.
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