Blood Pressure Control: The Impact of Starting Early

(RxWiki News) Young adults may have a knowledge gap when it comes to blood pressure control, according to a new study.

And that knowledge gap could put young people’s future health at risk.

“While hypertension awareness, treatment and control have improved overall since the early 2000s, all three remain worse in young adults — those aged 18-39,” said senior study author Dr. Andrew Moran, an assistant professor at Columbia University Medical Center, in a press release.

The authors of this study noted that high blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease.

This study looked at survey data on more than 41,000 people from between 1999 and 2014.

These researchers found that, of the 6.7 million young adults with high blood pressure in 2014, only around half received treatment. And only 40 percent got their blood pressure within healthy levels.

Additionally, young men were less likely than women to be aware of the risks of high blood pressure or undergo treatment.

The study authors said their findings highlight the need for more young adults to focus on the prevention and management of high blood pressure.

This study was published in the journal Hypertension.

The National Institutes of Health funded this research. The study authors disclosed no potential conflicts of interest.