Pre-Hypertension among Young Adults

According to Joint National Committee-7 (JNC-7) guidelines, a systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 120 to 139 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 80 to 89 mm Hg is considered as pre-hypertension. Existing evidence suggest that the cardiovascular morbidities are increasing among pre-hypertensive individuals compared to normal. The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude and factors associated with pre-hypertension among young adults (20-30 years) in coastal villages of Udupi Taluk, Udupi District, Karnataka state, India. In the study population, prevalence of pre-hypertension among young adults (20-30 years) was high (45.2%). Biological (age 25-30 years, pre-obesity and obesity) and behavioural (sedentary occupation, intake of extra salt in meals/salty food and not using refined cooking oil) factors were associated with pre-hypertension. Study emphasizes the need of community based screening of pre-hypertension under National Rural Health Mission. It also provides apt information for the evidence based designing of interventions for lifestyle modifications among high risk young adults in the study area.