over 1 million young kids in the United States have undiagnosed
high blood pressure:What a frightening world we live in. Imagine
this, kids on the playground talking about high blood pressure
and cholesterol. It might not be that far off. Lindsey Tanner of
the Associated Press reports that Roughly 2 million U.S.
youngsters have been estimated to have high blood pressure; the
study suggests that three-quarters of them have it but don't
know it. The numbers are driven at least partly by rising rates
of obesity, which is strongly linked with high blood pressure.I
guess we shouldn't be surprised when heart disease starts young.
Untreated high blood pressure can cause health problems in
adults, including heart disease, strokes, artery damage and
kidney disease, problems that usually take years to develop. Its
effects in children are less certain, although there is some
evidence that it might contribute to early artery and heart
damage in young patients, according to the American Academy of
Pediatrics.