Overview
- A Lancet Child & Adolescent Health meta-analysis of 96 studies covering over 443,000 participants in 21 countries found pediatric hypertension rose from 3.2% in 2000 to 6.2% in 2020, affecting about 114 million youth.
- Overweight and obesity were the dominant correlates, with hypertension present in 19% of obese children versus 2.4% of normal-weight peers.
- The study team urged routine blood-pressure screening in children, prioritizing those with excess weight or a family history.
- A 12-year Japanese JACC cohort of nearly 59,000 adults reported that stopping alcohol lowered blood pressure, while starting to drink or increasing intake raised it.
- Even small amounts—around 5 grams of alcohol per day—were linked to measurable increases, with stronger rises at higher doses and no difference by beverage type.