High Blood Pressure Found in Children under 5

Experts sound the alarm about the growing number of adolescents suffering from hypertension. Today, children younger than 5 years, who already have high blood pressure, are taken to hospitals.

According to the official statistics, the incidence of hospitalization of patients younger than 16 years old, suffering from high blood pressure, has increased three-fold in the UK over the last 10 years. Hundreds of children under the age of 5 years, who already show signs of hypertension, can be seen in hospitals.

Experts believe that the diet with lots of salt is the reason for children’s hypertension. This diet includes all sorts of “empty calories”, like chips, nuts, and fast food. The representatives of medical institutions cannot confirm whether hypertension in children is caused by the diet with too much salt or it is a consequence of the epidemic of childhood obesity. In some cases, high blood pressure in children can be caused by problems with the kidneys or heart.

However, a recent study conducted in the UK found that more than a half of seven-year-old children consumed too much salt. Children in this age group should not have more than 5 grams of salt a day, but 25% of children consume more than 6.7 grams. The study conducted in Bristol University involved 600 children aged 7 to 15 years; it showed that most of the salt in the diet was obtained from processed foods, such as pizza and hamburgers. The children, consuming more than the recommended level of salt, will suffer from high blood pressure in future. In adulthood, this would increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.