Higher blood pressure during young adulthood linked to heart & kidney disease after age 40

Summary: Did you know that having high blood pressure in your 30s can secretly hurt your heart and kidneys later in life? A new study looked at nearly 300,000 adults in South Korea. It found that people who had higher blood pressure (120/80 or more) for up to 10 years during their 30s were much more likely to get sick after they turned 40.

Even if you feel perfectly healthy right now, running just 10 points higher than normal can increase your risk of heart disease by 27% and kidney disease by 22%. The people with the highest blood pressure over that decade were over three times more likely to develop these serious diseases! The main takeaway? Don't wait until you're older to care about your blood pressure. Checking it and keeping it healthy right now is the absolute best way to protect your future.

For more details, see American Heart Association at newsroom.heart.org/news/higher-blood-pressure-during-young-adulthood-linked-to-heart-kidney-disease-after-age-40 (opens in new tab)