Hypertension affects one in 15 children and adolescents globally, and this has generated growing concern among researchers. According to new research led by McMaster University in Canada, young people with high blood pressure face an almost four times greater risk of serious long-term heart problems, such as stroke and heart attack.

To better understand this issue, researchers analyzed 25,605 young people diagnosed with hypertension between 1996 and 2021, comparing them with people of the same age group without the disease.

During an average follow-up of 13 years, the study revealed that young people with hypertension were two to four times more likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke, heart failure, or require heart surgery compared to those without hypertension. Experts emphasize that improving the detection and treatment of high blood pressure in childhood can significantly reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular disease in adulthood.

Although the numbers are alarming, it is still not entirely clear what happens to these children in the long term. Scientists highlight the need to invest in long-term research on pediatric hypertension to better understand the cardiac and renal impacts on adults who were diagnosed with hypertension in childhood.

Source: Correio Braziliense | May 2024