Persistent elevation of blood pressure (BP) during childhood has been associated with a higher likelihood of hypertension later in life. Long-term observational data allow assessment of whether early BP exposure tracks into adulthood and relates to adult hypertension risk. In Journal of the American Heart Association, long-term associations between childhood BP exposure and adult hypertension were reported from a longitudinal cohort study.

The observational analysis included participants from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (YFS), initiated in 1980, which enrolled 3,596 children aged 3 to 18 years. BP was measured repeatedly using standard methods at multiple examinations. Cumulative BP exposure was defined using the area under the curve. A total of 2,064 participants attended the most recent follow-up between 2018 and 2020; 45% were men, and ages ranged from 40 to 58 years, with a mean follow-up duration of 38.0 years. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP of at least 140 mm Hg, diastolic BP of at least 90 mm Hg, self-reported use of antihypertensive medication, or physician-diagnosed hypertension.

Correlations between childhood BP (ages 3–18 years) and adult BP (ages 41–56 years) were weak but statistically significant in females (r=0.298; P<0.0001) and males (r=0.187; P<0.0001). Higher cumulative systolic BP exposure between ages 6 and 12 years, comparing the highest versus lowest quartile, was associated with increased adult hypertension risk in females (hazard ratio 3.85, 95% confidence interval 2.87–5.17) and males (hazard ratio 2.66, 95% confidence interval 2.07–3.42).

These data associate long-term cumulative childhood BP exposure with adult hypertension risk.