The dangers of hypertension in adolescents
The hypertension It is a great cardiac risk for people. It is usually thought that only adults suffer from it, but that is not true. There are cases of adolescents who show this condition and suffer the consequences of it. Something that is directly related to the growth of cases of obesity and overweight in the smallest of the house.
In fact, a study of Medical Center of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital warns about this risk coupled with poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. Hypertension in adolescents has important consequences in their daily lives and those who suffer from it can even see their organs affected.
Altered blood irrigation
To have hypertension it means that the force of the blood against the walls of the blood vessels is too high in a habitual way. Over time, arteries and veins narrow, restricting the circulation of blood throughout the body. The way to measure this problem in young people is in percentiles instead of blood pressure levels. For children and adolescents in the fifth highest percentile they have hypertension.
In this study, the researchers evaluated 180 teenagers from 14 to 17 years old. The objective was to observe organic damage in those whose blood pressure was at the dangerous 95th percentile. The research found evidence of damage to the heart and blood vessels, such as arterial stiffness, in some of the adolescents who had been rated a normal blood pressure, below the percentile.
Damage was also seen in the medium risk group, those who had a blood pressure in the percentiles of 80 to 90. Dr. Elaine Urbina, author of this study, points out that in more serious cases hypertension can even lead to organ failure due to a deficit risk.
"The symptoms of advanced organ failure in adolescents would be the same as in adults (...) The early development of mild organ injury in this patient population means that, unlike older adults, these adolescents are at risk of developing the advanced stages of organic damage at an earlier age in adulthood, with a loss of productive years of life, "explains Karen Griffin, of the Hypertension Council team of the American Heart Association.
Control of hypertension
As indicated by the authors From this research, the dangers of hypertension are to be taken into account. Here are some tips to control this health problem and avoid its negative consequences:
1. Reduce body weight: hypertension is usually associated with overweight.
2. Reduce the consumption of salt to less than 3 grams per day and pre-cooked or canned products.
3. Do physical exercise, preferably walk, run moderately, swim or ride a bicycle, 30 to 45 minutes, a minimum of 3 times per week.
4. Reduce, and if you can eliminate, coffee consumption.
5. Eat foods rich in potassium, such as legumes, fruits and vegetables.
6. Do not smoke: tobacco, along with hypertension, further damages the arteries.
7. Measure tension several days a week, at the same time and in a relaxed situation. If there is a significant change in the usual figures or it is repeated over a period of one or two days, it is advisable to go to the doctor to carry out an in-depth assessment.
Damián Montero
