Dr Jacob Nwachukwu, the President, Blood Pressure Control Foundation Nigeria, says hereditary and high intake of salt can lead to high blood pressure in young adults.
Nwachukwu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday that other factors that could affect children are obesity, lack of exercise, lifestyle and sleep disorder.
According to him, obesity is considered the primary risk for high blood pressure in children and other health problems such as heart disease and diabetes.
“Obesity is due to the combination of two factors, consuming too much food and little activity. Many kids eat more food than their bodies require.
“Obesity can also result when a child’s diet is full of the wrong types of food, such as unhealthy snacks and sugary beverages.
“Many children do not exercise enough and spend hours every day engaged in sedentary activities like watching television or playing video games,’’ he said.
Nwachukwu stated that stress-related ailments such as stroke, diabetes and hypertension showed minor signs which were usually ignored until they became severe.
“Some of these ailments could lead to sudden death if not detected early and properly managed by medical experts.
“They could occur almost immediately; someone who is apparently fit may be at risk; that is why routine check-up is of utmost importance,’ the doctor said.
He said that hypertension was one of the most common stress-related ailments that silently affected many people.
Nwachukwu said that hypertension was a chronic medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries became elevated.
He advised parents to keep an eye on the quality as well as the quantity of the food their children consumed.
According to him, the lifestyle of an individual can also affect the way the body reacts to issues.
He stressed the need for Nigerians to avoid consuming excessive salt and some artificial food, saying they could trigger ailments.
Nwachukwu said salt reduction was a preventive and treatment measure to hypertension.
The president explained that taking medication and avoiding junk foods would go a long way in eradicating chronic conditions.
“it is not a surprising thing to see young people in their 20’s or 30’s developing stroke due to high blood pressure because some of them had the illness over a period.
“Parents should educate their young children to become conscious about high blood pressure, especially if it runs in the family and the risk factors associated with the illness,’’ Nwachukwu said.
