35 percent of Britons aged between 16 and 34 are suffering from high blood pressure, according to a shocking survey released recently. This piece of news shames the myth that high blood pressure affects people only in old age. Experts suggest binge drinking, lack of exercise and poor diet are to blame for the high levels of hypertension recorded, which consequently increases the likelihood of suffering from strokes, heart attacks and kidney problems.
Professor Eoin O’Brian, from University College Dublin, warned, ‘People of all ages need to take their blood pressure seriously and re-evaluate their lifestyle to reduce the risk of hypertension.’ The study showed an average UK blood pressure reading of 140/86 which is quite higher than he recommended reading of 120/80 in 8,586 blood pressure tests. The ‘drinking culture’ in Britain is mainly responsible for patients suffering from high blood pressure, according to experts. n just five years the number of adults diagnosed with hypertension as a result of excessive drinking has risen by a staggering 74%. Women who drink in excess of six units of alcohol daily are doubling their chance of contracting high blood pressure.
