A new study from Linköping University in Sweden shows that even slightly high blood pressure during the teenage years can raise the risk of heart disease later in life.
The results were published in the medical journal JAMA Cardiology. The study suggests that heart problems like atherosclerosis, where arteries become clogged with plaque, may begin much earlier than most people think.
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is one of the biggest causes of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death around the world. Most efforts to prevent or treat high blood pressure focus on adults. But this research suggests it’s important to pay attention to blood pressure during youth as well.
The scientists used a special kind of CT scan to look at the heart arteries of about 15,000 men between the ages of 50 and 64. These scans gave a detailed view of how much plaque had built up inside the arteries.
The researchers then checked the old medical records of over 10,000 of these men, who had taken health tests when they were 18 as part of their mandatory military service in Sweden. Because military tests were required at that time, the data represents almost all young Swedish men from that generation.
They found that the higher a man’s blood pressure was at age 18, the greater his risk of clogged heart arteries later in life.
This included people whose blood pressure was as low as 120/80 mm Hg, which is often considered healthy. In fact, the risk started to rise at this level, even though most doctors don’t start worrying about blood pressure until it reaches 140/90 mm Hg.
Blood pressure has two parts: systolic pressure (the top number) is the force when the heart pumps, and diastolic pressure (the bottom number) is the force when the heart rests between beats. Both numbers are measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).
In this study, a systolic reading of 140 or more, or a diastolic reading of 90 or more, clearly raised the risk of atherosclerosis. But even a reading of 120/80 showed an increased risk.
The researchers also noted that young people today may face even more risk than the men in this study did decades ago. That’s because today’s youth are more likely to have obesity and lower levels of physical fitness. These are two factors that can raise blood pressure. As a result, the findings are especially important now.
One of the challenges in dealing with high blood pressure is that it usually doesn’t cause any symptoms. You can have it and not even know. That’s why it’s called the “silent killer.” The researchers believe that young people should have their blood pressure checked more often, and doctors should treat early signs of high blood pressure more seriously.
This study only looked at men, so the results may not apply to women. More research will be needed to see if the same risk applies.
In summary, this study shows that high blood pressure is not just an issue for older adults. Even teenagers with slightly elevated blood pressure could face serious heart problems decades later. The message is clear: early prevention matters. Keeping blood pressure in a healthy range during youth could protect your heart for life.
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