Inactivity in Youth Raises Risks of Hypertension Later in Life

Previous studies have shown an inverse relationship between fitness (physical activity) and the development of hypertension (high blood pressure). Mercedes R. Carnethon, from Northwestern University (Illinois, USA), and colleagues studied whether increased physical fitness in youth could help prevent hypertension later in life.  The team studied 4,618 men and women, ages 18 to 30 years, in which subjects completed a treadmill test and a physical activity questionnaire at the study’s start, and overall health was assessed at regular appointments over a subsequent 20-year follow-up period.  Finding that 1,022 subjects developed high blood pressure (greater than 140/80 mm Hg), the team observed that lower levels of physical activity and fitness correlated to an increased risk of high blood pressure.   The researchers commented that: “The estimated proportion of hypertension cases that could be prevented if participants moved to a higher fitness category (ie, preventive fraction) was 34% and varied by race and sex group,” and concluded that: “Fitness and physical activity are each associated with incident hypertension, and low fitness may account for a substantial proportion of hypertension incidence.”