Healthy blood pressure as a teen could be critical for the rest of adulthood

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-11-05 03:00

Australia; International; VIC; SA; TAS

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People who have high blood pressure in their teens are less likely to be able to revert to a healthy blood pressure and maintain it through adulthood, according to Australian and international research. The researchers tested the blood pressure of 2918 people nine times over 38 years, from ages 6-12 to 39-56.  They say those who recorded high blood pressure or hypertension in childhood or adolescence were more likely to struggle with their blood pressure through adulthood, and the likelihood of reverting from high to normal blood pressure decreases from adolescence into young adulthood. The researchers say this may mean adolescence is a critical period for maintaining healthy blood pressure to lower the risk of enduring health problems later in life.