Risks of High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol Begin Early in Life

Health Wellness

Generally when we hear about people suffering from high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol, we tend to think about adults that are middle aged and older. We’ve all read and heard many reports saying that the older we get, the greater the chance we have of developing high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol.

According to the American Heart Association, as of January 2018, at least 103 million Americans had high blood pressure and 56 million Americans age 40 and over have high cholesterol and are eligible for cholesterol-lowering statins.

According to the CDC in 2017, 75 million Americans had high blood pressure (hypertension) and another 1 in 3 adults (about 108 million people) suffer from prehypertension (blood pressure higher than normal but not high enough to be categorized as high blood pressure). [Just a side note, one would expect high blood pressure readings in states like New York and California but the opposite is true.

According to the CDC, the states that have the highest prevalence of high blood pressure are Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. The states with the lowest prevalence of high blood pressure are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Utah and Vermont.]

As for high cholesterol, the CDC reports that about 71 million American adults suffer from high cholesterol. [Unlike high blood pressure, states with the higher prevalence of high cholesterol are Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia. The states with the lowest prevalence of high cholesterol are Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington.]

Scary statistics indeed and it is true that the older we get the greater the chance of our developing high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol, BUT, are younger adults at a serious risk of suffering from high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol?

According this recent report, they are:

Having higher-than-normal cholesterol and blood pressure levels before age 40 can raise your risk of heart disease later in life more than you might think,…

A level of “bad” LDL cholesterol at 100 mg/dL or higher as a young adult was associated with a 64% increased risk for coronary heart disease later in life, said the study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on Monday.

Also in the study, a systolic blood pressure of 130 mm Hg or higher was associated with a 37% increased risk of heart failure later in life and a diastolic blood pressure of 80 mm Hg or higher was associated with a 21% increased risk.

Normal blood pressure levels are less than 120 systolic and 80 diastolic — or 120/80 — according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a healthy level of “bad” LDL cholesterol is less than 100mg/dL.

“The main take-home point of the study is for young adults: Don’t wait to make healthy choices,” said Dr. Andrew Moran, a principal investigator at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York and senior author of the study.

“Our results show that waiting until middle age or older years to improve diet and exercise can’t always reverse the cumulative damage made during young adulthood.”

From this study, we all need to start eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise at the earliest age possible. Take away the macaroni and cheese, ice cream, cookies, soda and fast foods from children and train them to eat healthy. Additionally, take away or limit their access to their cell phones, tablets, computers, video games and televisions and get them outside and active. One of the main reasons there is such a problem with these health conditions in America is the abundance of unhealthy foods and drinks and the rise in use of technology.

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