High blood pressure before age 40 increases the risk of stroke and heart disease in midlife, study says

People with high blood pressure before the age of 40 have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke in middle age, two new studies show.

One of the studies followed 4,800 young people in the United States for 19 years and found that those with high blood pressure before age 40 had 3.5 times the risk of heart disease and stroke later on than those with normal blood pressure. Another study looked at data from nearly 2.5 million young People in South Korea and found that high blood pressure before age 40 was associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Women had a 76% higher risk of cardiovascular disease, while men had an 85% higher risk of blood pressure.

"Elevated blood pressure in adults may lead to heart attack through several mechanisms, and blood pressure levels may rise over time," said Ramachandrans. Vasan of the Boston University School of Medicine and Public Health, an author of the accompanying editorial. "These are often associated with other risk factors (such as obesity, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and smoking) that together increase the risk of heart attack and stroke," Vasan said in an email.

Both studies were published in the journal of the American medical association (JAMA), the researchers used between the two sides are 2017 new recommended by the American heart association and the American college of cardiology, stronger standards to evaluate high blood pressure, because after new evidence suggests that as people age, even in the early mild hypertension may be a harbinger of cardiovascular diseases.

Patients were determined to have high blood pressure when "ZUI high", or systolic blood pressure (the pressure on the walls of the arteries as the heart beats), reached an average of 130mmHG(MMHG). It is also considered high blood pressure when "blood pressure", or diastolic pressure (the pressure on the walls of the arteries when the heart is at rest) reaches an average of 80mmHG. Before the new standard was introduced in 2017, the standard for hypertension was 140/90 MMHG.

But not all doctors are using the new standards in their treatment, in part because of concerns about possible side effects from long-term use of blood-pressure lowering drugs, such as diarrhea or constipation, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, nausea, vomiting and mood disorders.

Young people with high blood pressure can also control their blood pressure by making lifestyle changes such as more exercise and a healthier diet, while considering the side effects of medications, which can be discussed with a doctor, said Dr. SangMinPark of Seoul National University Hospital, * author of the South Korean study. "Our study has shown that high blood pressure may be associated with an increased risk of heart attack or stroke even at a young age," Dr. SangMinPark said by email. "Young people with high blood pressure should therefore have their blood pressure regularly monitored and treated with lifestyle changes or medication."