High blood pressure is rising among children: Can it be fatal?

Hypertension or high blood pressure (BP) is one of the most common health problems in adults, but is now sounding alarming as rates are increasing in children and adolescents.

High blood pressure is often called a ‘silent killer’ because it causes damage to the body without obvious symptoms and can also lead to death.

Why does high blood pressure increase in children?

Pediatric hypertension, or the prevalence of high blood pressure in children and teens under the age of 19, has increased from 3.2% to 6.2% in just two decades.

For children who are overweight or obese, the percentage of high blood pressure can be as high as 25% of the population, and high blood pressure is more common in boys and in children over 12 years of age.

According to a global report, a study shows that hypertension in children nearly doubled between 2000 and 2020, affecting more than 114 million young people worldwide.

The findings, which are based on a meta-analysis of data from 96 studies involving more than 400,000 children in 21 countries, were published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health magazine.

The problem is most prevalent in Asia, while it is also rapidly increasing in Europe and Britain.

Medical experts link obesity to high blood pressure in children, as almost 20% of obese children had hypertension problems compared to healthy children.

Experts explain that poor diet and a sedentary or inactive lifestyle increase the risk of obesity, which leads to high blood pressure.

According to one of the largest studies combining two decades of data, poor health conditions in children are due to the consumption of processed foods and less physical activity.

Doctors reported that high blood pressure levels rose sharply in early adolescence and underscored the critical importance of regular screening during these critical years, because children and teens with prehypertension are more likely to progress to full hypertension.

Prehypertension is most common during adolescence, with a rate of 11.8% among teenagers, compared to about 7% in younger children.

Health problems associated with high blood pressure:

High blood pressure can damage children’s organs, including the heart, kidneys and eyes, making it essential to diagnose and treat it early.

Research findings show that children who developed pre-hypertension as adults faced potentially fatal and lifelong damage, because high blood pressure can steadily damage the body for years before people experience symptoms.

The excessive pressure can cause aneurysms or bulges in weak arteries, which can be fatal if they burst. The strain on the heart can also lead to heart failure.

The high blood pressure damages the smooth inner lining of the arteries, leading to inflammation and plaques that make the arteries stiffer and narrower, which can restrict blood flow to the heart, causing angina, irregular heart rhythms and heart attacks.

The kidneys are especially vulnerable because damaged blood vessels prevent the organs from filtering waste from the blood, so people may need dialysis or a kidney transplant.

The eyes are also at risk because of the tiny blood vessels within them, with damage causing bleeding, blurred vision and blindness.

Clogged or narrowed arteries can restrict blood flow to the brain, causing vascular dementia and mini-strokes, while clots or bleeding caused by high blood pressure can lead to serious strokes.

Prof. Steve Turner, chairman of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “This sharp rise in high blood pressure in children is deeply worrying as children not only exhibit high blood pressure but also other serious conditions linked to obesity, such as type 2 diabetes, asthma and mental health problems.

Healthy reach

Different countries have different thresholds for diagnosing high blood pressure.

The healthy range of blood pressure in Britain is 90/60 to 120/80 and mildly elevated blood pressure is 120/80 to 139/89, while high blood pressure ranges between 140-90 or higher.

For the US, high blood levels between 130/80 and 139/89 are called stage 1 hypertension, while stage 2 hypertension is diagnosed at 140/90 and above.

How to reverse high blood pressure?

The good news is that obesity-related high blood pressure in children can be reversed.

Health experts suggest that proper diagnosis and healthy nutrition, followed by active lifestyle changes, can help overcome problems with hypertension or prehypertension in children and at the beginner level.

Furthermore, Prof. Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific Officer and Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation, suggests that bold global action is also needed by governments to prevent children from developing obesity in the first place, which is the main reason linked to high blood pressure and other health complications.

“This includes extending restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy products and exploring further measures to encourage the food industry to make our everyday food healthier,” said Prof. Bryan.