High blood pressure puts stress on your arteries and the heart muscle — find out what you should do and why even elevated blood pressure that isn’t hypertension can be dangerous.
It is not always possible to determine what causes high blood pressure in young adults; however, addressing issues such as obesity, leading a sedentary lifestyle, and consuming excessive amounts of alcohol or salt might be good places to start when attempting to lower your blood pressure.
Some people who have high blood pressure may not notice any changes in how they feel; nonetheless, the increased stress on your arteries and the heart muscle may, over time, cause a decrease in the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart, which can lead to chest pain, a heart attack, and ultimately heart failure.
It is not unusual for young individuals to suffer from high blood pressure. According to the National Health Statistics Reports that were issued in June 2021, hypertension was present in over a quarter of those individuals who were between the ages of 18 and 39. Men are more likely to be affected by the illness than women, and people of African descent have an especially elevated risk.
The Norton Institute for Heart and Vascular Care
Get familiar with your statistics and treat them carefully. We will as well.
You may assist yourself take the steps to avoid long-term issues by being aware of what a healthy blood pressure number is and by having your blood pressure checked on a regular basis.
Even if it does not meet the criteria for hypertension, high blood pressure is nevertheless a health risk.
Even if your blood pressure is not high enough to warrant a diagnosis of hypertension, there is always a possibility that you could do harm to your heart.
According to cardiologist Kelly C. McCants, M.D., executive medical director of the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Advanced Heart Failure & Recovery Program and executive director of the Institute for Health Equity, Part of Norton Healthcare, high blood pressure in young adults, even if it is merely “elevated” and not at the level of a hypertension diagnosis, can lead to heart failure at a young age. This is especially true in African American patients.
According to Dr. McCants, “that target clearly should be under 120 for your systolic, and your diastolic should be less than 80.” If you’re of African American descent, these numbers should be even lower.
Patients who have a blood pressure reading of 120 over 80 are sometimes thought to be at the lower end of what is called “elevated” blood pressure or even to be in the “normal” range of blood pressure readings.
According to Dr. McCants, a patient may show signs of borderline hypertension while resting in the office of a health care provider, but the patient’s systolic BP can double when they are anxious or while they are exercising. In addition, patients who have had normal blood pressure for a number of years despite being at risk for developing hypertension are still at risk for developing considerable thickening of the muscle that lines the left ventricle of the heart.
Alterations to one’s way of life, in conjunction with the use of blood pressure-lowering medication, may be the best course of action for certain young adults who have high blood pressure or even “elevated” blood pressure. According to Dr. McCants, having high blood pressure can hasten the progression of cardiomyopathy, which is a condition in which the heart becomes weaker. This is especially true in African Americans and other people of color.
“If someone has hypertension in their 30s, you can bet that if they make it another 30 years and their blood pressure remains uncontrolled, there is a good chance that they could have end organ damage from prolonged hypertension like kidney failure, stroke, or heart failure,” he added. “You can bet that if they make it 30 more years and their blood pressure remains uncontrolled, there is a good chance that they could have end organ damage from prolonged hypertension.”
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, beta blockers, and diuretics are some examples of the medications that may be prescribed.