How to Treat Hypertension in Young People

According to the International Pediatric Hypertension Association, 5 percent of children and adolescents have hypertension (high blood pressure). Untreated, this continues into adulthood, markedly increasing the risk of heart and kidney disease and stroke. High blood pressure in young people is often secondary to other diseases, such as kidney disease, and is associated with obesity, increasing the risk of diabetes. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), hypertension in children and adolescents occurs when blood pressure is at or above the 95th percentile expected for the child's age, height and gender. Hypertension occurs in young adults when blood pressure exceeds 140/90.

Things You'll Need

• Diet guide
• Running/walking shoes
• Progress chart

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Instructions

Lowering Your Bood Pressure

• 1

  Make a plan to change your lifestyle. Set beginning goals rather than end goals so you can see early progress because this will help motivate you to stay with your program, and try to enlist a family member or friend to help you.

• 2

  Begin an exercise program of 30 minutes three times weekly, increasing to five times weekly, as this strengthens your heart and muscles and helps lower blood pressure while helping you attain or maintain a healthy weight. A good beginning exercise is walking because you can walk at a speed that's comfortable for you, aiming for about a 20-minute mile.

• 3

  Lower the fat, salt and sugar in your diet because losing weight and decreasing salt can lower blood pressure. The NHLBI recommends the DASH diet (dietary approach to stop hypertension), which is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains but discourages fried foods, saturated fats, sugar and fast foods.

• 4

  Monitor your progress on a schedule that suits you but at least once a week. Make a simple progress chart (such as a graph) where you can write your exercise times, weight and/or measurements, depending on your individual plan and goals.

• 5

  Take medication if your blood pressure is dangerously high and your physician advises treatment. According to the NHLBI, you will probably start with a diuretic (water pill) that helps rid your body of extra fluid caused by eating too much salt.