A new study has revealed that about one in five young adults in US has high blood pressure. But only those adults in the age group of twenty-four to thirty-two have been declared by doctors that they are hypertensive. The diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure are significant, if left untreated can escort to heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
In a study conducted by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, analyzed heath records of fourteen thousand men and women aged twenty-four to thirty-two who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, also known as the Add Health study. Among all study participants nineteen percent had high blood pressure.
The study found that men were more prone to have hypertension in comparison to women. College-educated adults were less prone suffering hypertension in comparison to those who have passed only high school diploma. According to study author Dr. Eric Whitsel, an assistant professor in medicine and epidemiology, they found the results across every demographic such as age, race, ethnicity, gender and level of obesity.
High blood pressure is occurred due to combination of aspects like social, behavioral and biological. However, the study makes it clear that high blood pressure in young adulthood is the manifestation of an unhealthy lifestyle, explained Kathleen Mullan Harris from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The findings of the study were surprising because an earlier study by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that only four percent of young adults had hypertension. This stage of early adulthood is when young people move out of the house, get into regular lifestyle choices and develop habits that will last into adulthood, stated Harris.
Four ways are offered by Dr Whitsel to keep high blood pressure in control, first to eat a healthy and balanced diet that is rich in fruit and vegetables. Second is to reduce the intake of sodium that has prominent effect on high blood pressure levels.
Thirds is to limit the daily intake of alcohol up o two drinks for men and one drink for women. Fourth is to make sure about regular exercise, adults should take at least one hundred and fifty minutes of moderate to vigorous workout every week. These four methods are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study published in the journal Epidemiology.