In a cohort study of children and adolescents with elevated blood pressure (BP) and/or hypertension, researchers found that as adults, those same individuals had a 16% to 63% chance of returning to normal BP levels. The 2,918 children with elevated BP who were studied were more than twice as likely to have elevated BP/hypertension as adults, according to research published in JAMA Pediatrics. Children with normal BP often sustained it into adolescence, but the probability declined by young adulthood, the authors write. Participants had BP examined 9 times over 38 years, from childhood (aged 6-12 years) through mid adulthood (39-56 years). BP classifications (normal, elevated, hypertension) were based on American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for children and adolescents and the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines for adults. The authors suggest that adolescence could be a potential critical period for screening and intervention.
Intervene early: Nearly 48% of U.S. adults have hypertension, and prevalence increases with age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among adults with hypertension, only 20.7% have their condition under control at less than 130/80 mm Hg.
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