‘Considerable’ number of young people unknowingly suffer with high blood pressure

New data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has shown a ‘considerable’ number of young people in England are unaware that they have high blood pressure.

Last week the ONS found around five in 100 young men and one in 100 young women, aged between 16-24, have high blood pressure and do not know about it – this is around 170,000 people.

Although high blood pressure can develop without showing any symptoms at first, if left untreated it can put additional strain on the heart and blood vessels, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes.

According to Blood Pressure UK, the only UK charity dedicated to lowering the nation’s blood pressure, high blood pressure can also result in heart and kidney disease, as well as vascular dementia.

The charity also states high blood pressure is the third biggest risk factor for all disease after smoking and poor diet.

Against this backdrop, high blood pressure can develop at any age, which is why doctors say all adults should have regular checks and take any steps to avoid long-term harm. As the condition can cause severe diseases and is developing even more in young people, it is as important as ever to book an appointment with your GP.

The data from the ONS comes from the Health Survey for England, which carried out at-home blood pressure tests on 20,000 people, including 1,500 young people. Tests were taken by a nurse on a few different occasions to obtain an average reading.

The survey found:

• 4% of women – around 110,000 – and 7% of men – estimated 210,000 – aged 16-24 in England have high blood pressure
• From this, 26% of the women and 66% of the men were undiagnosed

Dr Pauline Swift, from the charity Blood Pressure UK, said: ‘In recent years we have seen an increase in younger patients with high blood pressure, often as a result of poor diet, consuming too much salt and lack of exercise leading to weight gain.

‘If you start making small changes to your lifestyle when you are young, such as eating less salt, more fruit and vegetables and taking more exercise to maintain a healthy weight, then you are more likely to stay healthier and prevent strokes, heart disease and chronic kidney disease.

‘High blood pressure kills thousands of people every year in the UK and is almost entirely preventable.

‘Everyone needs to take control of their health by checking their blood pressure either at home, at a pharmacy or with their practice nurse. This could save your life.’

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