Prevalence and cardiovascular risk factor profile of pre-hypertension among young adults: Results of a large-scale population study

Objectives: Recently the JNC7 introduced pre-hypertension as a novel blood pressure (BP) category. The rationale was the observed predisposition of adults over the age of 55 with borderline BP to develop hypertension over time. Little is known about the prevalence of pre-hypertension among young adults aged 25–50 or their characteristics compared to normal and hypertensive subjects.
Design and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the Young Adult Periodic Examinations in Israel (YAPEIS) database of healthy adults aged 25–45 undergoing routine periodic examinations, who were neither diagnosed nor treated for hypertension. Pre-hypertension was defined as systolic BP between 121–139 mmHg and/or diastolic BP between 81–89 mmHg. Normal and hypertension were defined by BP below and above these levels.
Results: 36,854 subjects (88% men, mean age 36:8 years) were examined. The prevalence of pre-hypertension was 49% compared to 32% normal and 19% hypertensives (51%, 29%, and 20% among men and 36%, 54%, and 10% among women respectively).
Conclusion: The prevalence of pre-hypertension is high and is associated with poorer cardiovascular-metabolic profile. Whether life style modification can alter the progression to hypertension remains to be shown.