According to a study published in the Lancet, childhood hypertension is becoming an increasingly widespread problem on a global scale.
The publication reports that this ailment affects a significant and growing number of children around the world.
Researchers link the rise in incidence to worsening lifestyle and increasing cases of obesity. In analyzing data covering 443,914 children, the researchers found that from 2000 to 2020, the rate of childhood hypertension nearly doubled: from 3.4% to 6.53% in boys, and from 3.02% to 5.82% in girls.
Ignacio Fernández Lozano, President of the Spanish Society of Cardiology, commented on these results, noting that they confirm the observations of specialists in their practice.
“The situation is concerning, as the cardiovascular health of children and adolescents continues to deteriorate. Hypertension is traditionally considered an adult disease, and its onset at such an early age raises serious concerns,” he emphasized.
Arterial hypertension is characterized by an increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) to 140 mm Hg and above, as well as diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 90 mm Hg. According to the World Health Organization, by the end of 2020, hypertension affected 1.13 billion people worldwide, with about 40% of them unaware of their condition, and only 10% receiving the necessary treatment.
