Know your blood pressure numbers, says UCI expert

Young adults with hypertension should address it early to prevent long-term damage

IN THE NEWS: Adolescents and young adults with high blood pressure are more likely to have a cardiovascular event in the coming decades, a recent study has found.

UCI heart disease expert Nathan Wong, MPH, PhD, who was not involved with the study, spoke to Healthline about the risks of untreated high blood pressure.

“Prior studies show that even those with mild elevations in blood pressure often progress to developing [diagnosed] hypertension within a few years, hence the importance of addressing this earlier rather than later. Furthermore, elevations in blood pressure are associated with other problems such as kidney disease and diabetes.”

Wong is a cardiovascular epidemiologist and a specialist in preventive cardiology. He is a professor and director of the Heart Disease Prevention Program in the Division of Cardiology at the UCI School of Medicine. Wong has primary research interests in the epidemiology of subclinical atherosclerosis, including vascular calcification, as well as lipid and diabetes management.

He has authored more than 350 papers and co-edited seven textbooks. He is also on the editorial board of several cardiology and diabetes-related journals.

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