Gaby
A recent study from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) revealed that if you want to protect yourself from high blood pressure, you need to think long-term. Managing your blood pressure should start at a young age, and regular physical activity plays a significant role in this effort.
Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is a serious condition affecting approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide. More than half of these individuals do not receive treatment, and every second person with hypertension is unaware of their condition. This is why hypertension is often referred to as a silent killer. According to the World Health Organization, it affects one in four men and one in five women globally. Medical professionals warn that high blood pressure can lead to heart attacks or strokes. Hypertension is also recognized as a risk factor for developing dementia in older age.
However, there are ways to reverse high blood pressure, and one of them is through exercise.
What Did the Researchers Discover?
Researchers have previously reported that exercise helps normalize blood pressure. But now, scientists have found that maintaining a higher level of physical activity during youth is particularly crucial in combating hypertension. “Teenagers and young adults under 20 can be physically active, but this tends to change with age,” noted epidemiologist Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, a co-author of the study.
The university team involved over 5,100 adult volunteers from four cities across the U.S. For three decades, the researchers tracked the participants’ health through clinical blood pressure assessments and surveys regarding their levels of physical activity and unhealthy habits, such as smoking and alcohol consumption, as reported by Science Alert.
The findings revealed that both men and women experienced a sharp decline in physical activity between the ages of 18 and 40. Consequently, hypertension rates significantly increased over the following decades.
The researchers believe this indicates that young age is a critical period for preventing hypertension, which can become a part of life in middle age. It is essential to actively engage in exercise during youth to protect the body from high blood pressure.
How Much Physical Activity Is Needed to Protect Against Hypertension?
When the team examined participants who engaged in moderate physical activity for five hours a week during early adulthood (ages 18-25)—twice the minimum recommended level—they found that this level of activity significantly reduced the risk of hypertension, especially if individuals maintained this habit into their 60s.
Physical activity recommendations should be heeded by people of all ages, particularly the young. These guidelines may be especially relevant for recent high school graduates. “Opportunities for physical activity diminish as young people transition to college, enter the workforce, or become parents; their free time becomes increasingly limited,” emphasized Mr. Nagata.
The study’s results were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
