High blood pressure during young adulthood may be linked to a higher risk of heart disease and kidney disease later in life, according to new research. The findings reinforce the importance of maintaining healthy blood pressure at younger ages, particularly among adults under 40.
“High blood pressure is a known significant risk factor for developing both heart disease and kidney disease,” said Cheng-Han Chen, MD, board certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, who wasn’t involved in the study. “It is thus unsurprising, although still concerning, that long periods of elevated blood pressure in young adulthood would lead to premature cardiovascular and kidney events in middle age,” Chen told Healthline.
Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease and premature death worldwide. High blood pressure is also the most common and modifiable risk factor for both heart disease and stroke, making blood pressure control imperative to reduce the risk of major cardiac events or stroke.
“Often we ignore elevated blood pressures in young adults, thinking that we’ll just watch it,” said Karishma Patwa, MD, board certified cardiologist at Manhattan Cardiology in NYC, who wasn’t involved in the study. “The new data is reinforcing that screening and management should begin much earlier than midlife,” Patwa told Healthline.
The recent study analyzed health information of 291,887 adults from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. Each participant was 30 years old between 2002 and 2004 and received routine health screenings between the ages of 30 and 40. Participants had no prior history of heart or kidney disease before age 40. Researchers calculated each participant’s cumulative blood pressure levels from ages 30 to 40 to account for both how high it was and how long it stayed elevated. Participants were followed for about 10 years after age 40; development of heart or kidney disease was identified through national health service records, and chronic kidney disease diagnoses were confirmed by laboratory tests during follow-up.
Researchers found that people whose blood pressure remained elevated from age 30 to 40 had a higher risk of heart and kidney disease after 40. Those who had a systolic (top number) reading of about 10 mm Hg higher than their peers for roughly 10 years had a 27% higher risk of heart disease and a 22% higher risk of kidney disease. Participants with a diastolic (bottom number) about 5 mm Hg higher than peers for about 10 years had a 20% higher risk of heart disease and a 16% higher risk of kidney disease.
The AHA 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline recommends treating stage 1 hypertension (after 3 to 6 months of lifestyle modification) in adults with a predicted 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease. “I agree with these recommendations. 10-year cardiovascular risk predictors are limiting, especially in younger patients. I would, however, individualize my approach for each patient and look at their overall lifetime risk trajectory prior to starting medications,” said Patwa.
The AHA states that it’s important to work with your healthcare professional to manage and lower your blood pressure. Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle can help prevent a cardiovascular event. Lifestyle changes that may help lower blood pressure include:
