Edinburgh: The number of children and teenagers living with high blood pressure has nearly doubled worldwide over the past two decades, according to the largest review of its kind published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health.
Experts warn that this alarming rise, driven by unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyles, and soaring obesity rates, poses a serious long-term threat to public health. The analysis, based on data from 96 studies involving more than 400,000 participants across 21 countries, found that the prevalence of hypertension among individuals under 19 has climbed from 3.2 percent in 2000 to 6.2 percent in 2020, affecting an estimated 114 million children and adolescents globally.
Researchers identified obesity as a major contributor, with nearly 19 percent of children living with obesity affected by high blood pressure compared to fewer than 3 percent among those of healthy weight. The review also highlighted that 8.2 percent of children and teens have prehypertension, a condition where blood pressure is elevated but not yet classified as hypertension.
Study author Prof. Igor Rudan, director of the Centre for Global Health Research at Edinburgh University’s Usher Institute, described the findings as a ‘wake-up call’ for healthcare systems worldwide. Experts noted that blood pressure levels tend to rise sharply during early adolescence, especially around age 14 and particularly among boys, emphasising the need for regular screenings during these years.
Prof. Steve Turner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, called the findings ‘deeply concerning,’ attributing the surge largely to preventable causes such as obesity. Lead author Dr. Peige Song of Zhejiang University School of Medicine said lifestyle changes could play a key role in reversing the trend.
Prof. Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, warned that childhood hypertension often persists into adulthood, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke later in life.
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