Hypertension in young children is a growing concern in Pakistan, where the prevalence of hypertension among children and adolescents has increased significantly in recent years.
According to a study published in the Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, the prevalence of hypertension among children aged five to 15 years in the country is around 12.6 per cent.
Several factors contribute to hypertension in young children in the country, including a family history of hypertension, the rising trend of childhood obesity, an unhealthy diet with high intake of salt, sugar and saturated fats, physical inactivity, air pollution, stress, as well as low socioeconomic status and a lack of access to health care.
These concerns were raised by leading cardiologists and other health experts while highlighting the growing incidence of cardio-metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes in the country.
“Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is now a growing problem among children in Pakistan, but we often don’t check it, so we don’t fully understand the gravity of the situation,” said Pakistan Hypertension League (PHL) General Secretary Prof Abdur Rasheed.
“If we start screening our children and teenagers, especially those who are obese, smoking and physically inactive, we can identify a significant number of hypertensive kids and teenagers.”
Calling for early detection and diagnosis to address hypertension in young children in the country, Prof Rasheed emphasised healthy lifestyle modifications, including balanced diet, regular physical activity, management of associated conditions like obesity and diabetes, and access to health care and antihypertensive medications, if necessary.
“Education and awareness among parents, caregivers and healthcare providers are essential because by addressing hypertension in young children, we can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and other complications later in life.”
National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases Executive Director Prof Dr Tahir Saghir confirmed that the number of young people having heart attacks is on the rise in the country.
Dr Saghir said people are becoming diabetic at an early age, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. “Of the 1,000 people brought to us for heart attacks, 50 to 100 are very young: between 20 and 30 years of age.”
He pointed out that the consumption of a high-calorie diet is causing weight gain among people due to a lack of physical activity. He advised people to control their weight, eat a healthy diet, and ensure proper sleep at night to remain healthy and avoid contracting diabetes and hypertension.
Dr Somia Iqtidar, a leading physician and professor of medicine in Lahore, said people as young as 25 to 29 years of age are experiencing heart attacks in her city.
“We’re witnessing an early onset of diabetes and other metabolic problems, including hypertension, which is leading to cardiovascular diseases in Lahore and other parts of the country. Obesity and smoking are other risk factors causing heart problems in young people.”
Dr Junaid Patel, a professor of medicine at the Indus Hospital, said: “These days we’re observing a significant increase in hypertension cases among young adults in Pakistan, largely stemming from sedentary lifestyles characterised by physical inactivity, poor dietary habits, excessive salt and sugar intake, and smoking.”
It is alarming to see individuals as young as 16 to 18 years old experiencing dangerously high blood pressure levels, leading to strokes and heart attacks, he added.
According to a recent report by the World Health Organisation, the number of people living with hypertension (blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or higher, or taking medication for hypertension) doubled between 1990 and 2019, from 650 million to 1.3 billion. Nearly half of the people with hypertension globally are currently unaware of their condition.
PHL Patron Prof Muhammad Ishaq said that there are around 33.2 million people with hypertension in Pakistan, of which around 18.59 million are undiagnosed. “Only 5.11 million are currently receiving treatment for hypertension, and of them, just 1.61 million have their hypertension under control.”
Prof Ishaq blamed a lack of awareness among the masses as the major cause of the high prevalence of hypertension in the country. He vowed to launch a massive campaign in May to screen people for hypertension and advise them to improve their lifestyles to control their blood pressure.
“We are going to involve nurses, healthcare workers and common people in our Discovering Hypertension drive,” he said, and urged people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, reduce salt intake, exercise daily and avoid smoking to live a healthy life.