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Childhood High Blood Pressure Doubles Worldwide
19 Nov
Summary
- Childhood hypertension prevalence doubled from 2000 to 2020.
- Obesity is a significant contributing factor to increased cases.
- 114 million young people globally affected by hypertension.
High blood pressure in children and adolescents has seen a dramatic increase, nearly doubling its prevalence between 2000 and 2020. This surge means approximately 114 million young people globally now live with hypertension. The rising rates are strongly linked to the growing obesity epidemic, with hypertensive children being nearly seven times more likely to be obese.
Studies indicate that obesity contributes to conditions like insulin resistance and vascular changes, making it harder to maintain healthy blood pressure levels. The research, which analyzed data from 96 studies across 21 countries, also highlighted the impact of measurement methods on prevalence estimates, with out-of-office monitoring revealing higher rates.
Furthermore, the findings pointed to challenges in diagnosis, such as masked hypertension where high blood pressure is missed in routine checkups. Conversely, white-coat hypertension, elevated pressure only in clinical settings, may lead to misclassification in some cases. These insights underscore the urgent need for awareness and intervention strategies.
