Blood pressure risk in children

ONE in 10 children has high blood pressure and half add salt to food most days.

These are the findings of a study held in five primary schools as a prelude to the Cork Children’s Lifestyle Study, which is running until Jun 2013. The wellbeing, diet and exercise of 1,000 third- and fourth-class pupils in 23 schools is being investigated.

High salt intake increases blood pressure — and high blood pressure is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Eleven percent of children in the Cork study had high blood pressure based on British Hypertension Society guidelines. Twice as many overweight and obese children had high blood pressure compared to normal-weight children.