CHILDREN who are considered overweight are more likely to develop high blood pressure as they get older, new research has shown.
High blood pressure – also known as hypertension – can increase your risk of serious health problems such as heart attacks and strokes if left untreated.
Around a third of adults in the UK have high blood pressure, according to the NHS, although many may not realise it.
Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and is considered high at from 140/90mmHg. It's ideal between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg.
A study conducted by Kaiser Permanente – and published in JAMA Network Open – found that children classed as overweight were more likely to develop hypertension.
Lead author Corinna Koebnick said the study's findings showed the detrimental effects 'even a few extra pounds' could have on children's health.
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“Hypertension during youth tracks into adulthood and is associated with cardiac and vascular organ damage.
"Since the organ damage can be irreversible, preventing hypertension in our young people is critically important."
About 10 per cent of reception-aged children in the UK are obese, according to NHS Digital.
The research team examined the health records of 801,019 of Southern California based-children aged between three and 17.
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They compared the children's initial body max index to what it was five years later and also looked at their blood pressure to determine whether they had hypertension.
After that, researchers divided the children based on whether their average body weight was low (fifth through 39th percentile), medium (40th through 59th percentile), or high (60th through 84th percentile).
This allowed them to see whether any children who might not typically be considered over-weight developed hypertension.
When might your child be considered overweight?
Body mass index (BMI) is calculated differently for children aged between two and 18 and adults, the NHS notes.
It takes into account age and gender as well as height and weight.
According to the NHS, a child is considered:
- underweight if it ranks between the second centile or below
- a healthy weight between the second and 91st centiles
- overweight from the 91st centile or above
- very overweight from 98th centile or above
A child's BMI is expressed as a "centile" to show how their BMI compares with children who took part in national surveys.
For example, a girl on the 75th centile is heavier than 75 out of 100 other girls her age.
NHS guidance recommends you see a GP if you're concerned about your child's weight.
There's also a dedicated hub if you want further advice on how to know if your child is a healthy weight.
They found that children with high average body weight were 26 per cent more likely to develop hypertension within five years, compared to medium-weight children.
They observed a higher rate of hypertension among boys compared to girls.
It was also higher for children on state-subsidized health plans,
"Children gain weight over time," the researchers stated.
"Every BMI unit gained per year increases their risk of hypertension by 4 per cent."
Study author Poornima Kunani concluded that: “Obesity may be the most important risk factor for hypertension during childhood."
She urged parents to talk to their paediatrician to see their your child might be at risk for hypertension or other preventable chronic medical conditions related to obesity.
"They can help you with strategies for developing habits to keep your child healthy through adulthood," she said.
The researchers also determined that health professionals should re-evaluate how they educate people about the health risks of gaining weight during childhood.
According to Diabetes UK, five per cent of children classed as overweigh have hypertension. This figure rises to 15 per cent in children classed as obese.
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By comparison, only 2 per cent of children considered to be a normal weight have high blood pressure.
Previous studies have found that overweight youngsters already had “detectable” changes to heart and diabetes risk after their sixth birthday.
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