‘Normal’ Blood Pressure in Male Teens a Warning Sign

Adolescent boys with normal blood pressure levels are three to four times more likely to develop high blood pressure in adulthood than their female counterparts.

Researchers discovered that systolic blood pressure of 110 or greater in the teenage years increases the risk that a young man will develop high blood pressure when he reaches his 30s. Levels of 100, 105 and 110 were previously considered normal for teen males.

About 15% of the participants studied developed high blood pressure during the follow-up period, but only the group of girls considered obese had a substantially higher risk of developing it. Researchers speculated that the hormone estrogen may protect females from developing high blood pressure as early as the males did.