The rate of high blood pressure, or hypertension, in children around the world has doubled over the last 20 years, a new study has found.
A researcher from the School of Public Health at Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China, Dr. Peige Song, said that in 2000, roughly 3.4 percent of boys and 3 percent of girls were found to have hypertension.
High Blood Pressure Rate in Children More Than Doubled
But by 2020, they found that these numbers have increased to 6.5 percent and 5.8 percent, respectively. The study was published on Wednesday in the journal The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health.
Kids who suffer from hypertension are said to be at greater risk of later in their lives developing heart disease, which is the top 1 cause of death in the United States. In an email, Song said that despite this, the good news is that the issue is a "modifiable risk," according to CNN.
She said that with better screening, earlier detection, and a stronger focus on prevention, particularly around healthy weight and nutrition, the public and governments alike can intervene before complications arise among innocent, young children.
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The rise in the rate of high blood pressure in children is believed to be due to several factors. One significant risk factor is childhood obesity, because it is typically associated with factors such as insulin resistance, inflammation, and vascular function.
The study's researchers found that how blood pressure is measured in children and adolescents can affect prevalence estimates. This is based on a meta-analysis of data from 96 large studies that involved more than 443,000 children across 21 different countries, Medical Xpress reported.
The Prevalence of Hypertension
When it was confirmed by a health care provider that hypertension was present over at least three in-office visits, the prevalence was estimated to be roughly 4.3 percent. But when researchers also included out-of-office assessments, including ambulatory or home blood pressure monitoring, the prevalence of sustained hypertension rose to roughly 6.7 percent.
Another author of the study, Prof. Igor Rudan, who is the director of the Centre for Global Health Research at Edinburgh University's Usher Institute, said the findings should raise "alarm bells for healthcare providers and caregivers."
Furthermore, the study also suggests that an additional 8.2 percent of children and teenagers have prehypertension, which is having blood pressure levels that are higher than normal but not yet considered hypertension.
Prehypertension is typically found in adolescents, with rates reaching up to 11.8 percent among teenagers, which is much higher than the 7 percent in younger children, as per The Guardian.
