The rising number of childhood instances of hypertension in India has alarmed medical professionals at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), who have described the situation as "alarming."

Professionals from AIIMS emphasized the early development of high blood pressure in young children, with up to 20% afflicted in the age group of 10-19 years, during a press briefing as part of the hypertension awareness month.

Hypertension
Source: Cleveland Clinic

The alarming discovery that 15-20% of kids and teenagers have hypertension that is higher than what is thought to be typical for their age served as the basis for the statement. Dr Sumit Malhotra of the AIIMS Centre for Community Medicine underlined the seriousness of the situation by pointing out that hypertension is a major contributor to serious health problems like heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and retinal deformities. Several factors, including genetic susceptibility, early tobacco use, obesity, physical inactivity, and a sedentary lifestyle, are linked to the rise in the incidence of hypertension among children. Another significant contributing element to this growth has been recognized as stress.

A Vital Health Concern in Children is Hypertension:

There are terrible consequences for this trend. One important modifiable risk factor for preventable fatalities is hypertension, especially in the younger population. Another renowned AIIMS faculty member, Dr. Kiran Goswami, said that lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 10 millimeters of mercury might cut the risk of stroke by one-third and the early death risk from cardiovascular illnesses by 20%. Experts from AIIMS advise educational institutions to take the lead in tackling this health issue.

They suggest that in addition to teaching kids about the dangers, schools should also teach them a critical life skill: stress management. They also support the early adoption of healthy behaviors and lifestyle adjustments, such as eating more fruits and vegetables and getting at least 30 minutes a day of cardiovascular exercise, such as brisk walking or cycling. 

Hypertension
Source: CDC

Since children's hypertension usually doesn't generate noticeable symptoms, it often goes undiagnosed. Nevertheless, children may experience symptoms like severe headaches, seizures, vomiting, chest pains, shortness of breath, and palpitations (a fluttering heartbeat) when their blood pressure reaches a point where it is deemed a hypertensive crisis.

Monitoring children with high blood pressure regularly is crucial. Beginning at age 3, children should have their blood pressure measured at regular checkups. If the kid has been diagnosed with high blood pressure or has risk factors like obesity, this should happen more frequently.

You might also be interested in - Hospitalization risk doubled for diabetes and hypertension patients on hot days: Study