Hypertension In Young Adults

Recently in Nigeria, autopsy reports revealed that the late Goldie died as a result of HYPERTENSION. Prior to this, my boo had just been diagnosed as well with having high blood pressure. In his case I was so worried, for the fact that he is young and should not be having increased blood pressure. We thank God, that’s over now.

The rate at which young people all over the world are being diagnosed with high blood pressure is alarming. I just thought it right to educate everybody that this article can reach on the symptoms, causes and treatment for high blood pressure.

I hope this article provides insight in any way, also please feel free to add to whatever might be missing.

Thanks guys! And yeah I'm back to blogging!! Whoop!!

What exactly is HYPERTENSION?

Hypertension is such a silent disease that you can be walking around with a blood pressure reading of 180/100mmHg and not be aware of what is going on internally. If you have a blood pressure reading of 120/80, 120(the figure above) represents the systolic pressure which is the pressure of blood hitting the artery walls when the heart beats. Eighty (the figure below) represents the diastolic pressure which is the pressure between heartbeats.

The normal blood pressure rate is less than 120/80mmHg, so hypertension is when either the systolic measurement is 140 or higher or the diastolic measurement is 90 or higher. There are basically two types of hypertension: Essential and Secondary Hypertension

The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7) guidelines categorize hypertension as follows:

• Normal. Less than 120/80
• Prehypertension. 120-139/80-89
• Hypertension. 140/90
• Stage 2 hypertension. 160/100

What causes HYPERTENSION?

The cause of Essential Hypertension is unknown (Yeah!! No known cause). Although lifestyle factors such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and excessive alcohol or salt intake contribute to the condition.

Secondary Hypertension in most cases is as a result of an underlying kidney disease, hormonal imbalance, and drug intake

According to the JNC 7, half the adult population is prehypertensive or hypertensive, and because blood pressure increases with age, most people will become hypertensive if they live long enough

Daniel Lackland, DrPH of the American Society of Hypertension says “Younger adults with high blood pressure typically have high diastolic pressure while older adults have high systolic pressure”.  In young adults, the diastolic pressure rises because the heart is pumping harder while in older adults, the systolic pressure rises and stiffens arteries. Hypertension in young adults is caused by increased body mass, with an increase in African-American men, but it affects men of all races."

Signs &Symptoms

In most cases, hypertension doesn't give signs or signals the affected individual. It is usually discovered during a routine health screening. Below are some of the signs of Hypertension:

·         Headaches (usually at the back of the head     and noticed in morning)
·         Light-headedness
·         Vertigo(the feeling that you or your environment is moving or spinning)
·         Tinnitus (buzzing sound in the ears)
·         Altered Vision
·         Fainting Spells



What can be done?

For young people in the pre-hypertensive stage and hypertensive stages, modification of lifestyle activities plays a major role in bringing down the blood pressure.

Worry Less!! Manage Emotions!!

Let’s be honest, has worrying ever changed a situation for the better?? No it has not. Manage emotions such as anger, worry, rage, annoyance as they have been linked to causing physical and biological changes.

Weight reduction

 A Body Mass Index (BMI) of above 24.9 should be cause of worry in any young adult whether male or female. It is advised to maintain a normal body weight with a target (BMI) of 18.5 to 24.9. According to JNC7, for every 10kiliogrammes of weight lost, the systolic blood pressure reduces by approximately 5-20.

Adjust your Diet

 Ensure your diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products with a reduction in saturated and total fat. When this is done, the systolic blood pressure is expected to reduce by 8-14 points.

Reduce your salt intake

Salt is an essential mineral that a body needs to stay hydrated. Ingestion of salt is usually followed by water retention which is the body’s way of staying hydrated. With the consumption of ‘too much salt’ the body is likely to become over-hydrated as a result of excess fluid in the body. The excess fluid causes the kidney to work extra to remove this fluid. 

Excess body fluid also causes an increase in blood volume which requires the heart to work harder to move all that blood around, thus blood pressure goes up. 

Reduction in daily salt intake to less that 2.4g/1 teaspoon per day would reduce the systolic blood pressure by 2-8 points approximately.

Engage in Aerobic Activity

Engage in regular physical activity, such as brisk walking, at least 30 minutes per day most days of the week. This can decrease systolic blood pressure by 4-9 points.

Reduce/ Moderate Alcohol Consumption

Limiting the amount of alcohol to between 11 and 14 grams of alcohol is expected to result in a reduction in systolic blood pressure by 2-4 points.

Without treatment, a man at [age] 30 could be facing end-stage renal disease, stroke, or heart attack."

Some Risk Associated with Hypertension

Young adults with hypertension often have what's called "Metabolic Syndrome" which is known to contribute to heart disease and diabetes. It includes a cluster of risk factors found in an individual and include excess body fat (especially around the waist and chest), high cholesterol, and insulin resistance. Snoring has also been linked to high blood pressure in young adults. Erectile dysfunction has also been linked to complications of untreated high blood pressure.

Source: Wikipedia, WebMD, Yahoo Health
Photo Credit:Google Images