One in seven primary school children have high blood pressure

One in seven Irish primary school children have high blood pressure, according to a study. However, a pioneering new school diet and exercise programme has been found to significantly lower blood pressure rates in Irish primary school children.

Project Spraoi which was run in a Cork school for two years also significantly improved the waist-to-height ratio — which has been shown to be better predictors of heart disease than BMI — of the children. This study said early intervention is critical as blood pressure and waist-to-height ratio are linked to serious health issues later in life such as heart disease and obesity.