A team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) engaged over five thousand adult men and women living in four cities across the United States for their study. The scientists focused on physical exercise as a means to combat high blood pressure.
Hypertension, or elevated blood pressure, is a serious condition affecting billions of people worldwide. It often leads to heart attacks and strokes and is also a risk factor for developing dementia in older age. According to the World Health Organization, one in four men and one in five women globally suffer from hypertension. However, most people with high blood pressure are unaware that they have this health issue. It’s no wonder that high blood pressure is often referred to as a “silent killer.”
What the Researchers Discovered
As noted by epidemiologist Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, the lead author of the study, teenagers and young adults under the age of 20 can be extremely physically active, but this activity typically declines with age. Bibbins-Domingo reminded us of previous research indicating that exercise helps lower blood pressure. However, until now, scientists had not studied what level of physical activity throughout life would be most effective in countering hypertension.
The researcher emphasized that “maintaining a higher level of physical activity in young age—beyond previous recommendations—may be particularly important for preventing hypertension.”
The university team tracked the health of 5,100 adult men and women over three decades. For their observations, the researchers used surveys of volunteers regarding their exercise habits, as well as harmful behaviors like smoking and alcohol consumption. Experts also systematically measured the participants’ blood pressure. For a more detailed analysis, volunteers were grouped by gender and race, as reported by Science Alert.
The team found that from ages 18 to 40, levels of physical activity declined among both men and women, regardless of racial background. Meanwhile, in the following decades, the incidence of hypertension increased, while participants’ physical activity continued to decrease.
According to the scientists, this indicates that young adulthood is a crucial period for preventing hypertension through health strengthening, particularly by increasing physical activity.
“About half of our participants were insufficiently active in their youth, which significantly contributed to the later development of hypertension; this highlights the need to raise the minimum standard for physical activity,” noted lead author Jason Nagata.
The researchers also observed individuals who engaged in moderate physical exercise for five hours a week in early adulthood (which is double the minimum amount of officially recommended exercise for adults). The scientists found that this level of activity significantly reduces the risk of hypertension, especially if individuals continue to exercise into their 60s.
According to the researchers, at least doubling the current recommended levels of minimum physical activity for adults could be very beneficial for preventing hypertension. While the team understands how challenging it can be to increase physical activity in adulthood, when life becomes filled with numerous responsibilities, the findings underscore the importance of making exercise a priority. The results of the study were published in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine.