Elevated BP at Age 7 Years Linked to Premature CVD Mortality

FRIDAY, Sept. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Higher blood pressure (BP) at age 7 years is associated with an increased risk for premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, according to a study published online Sept. 7 in the Journal of the American Medical Association to coincide with the American Heart Association Hypertension 2025 Scientific Sessions, held from Sept. 4 to 7 in Baltimore.

Alexa A. Freedman, Ph.D., from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and colleagues analyzed data from a prospective cohort of children born to women enrolled in the U.S. Collaborative Perinatal Project between 1959 and 1965 at 12 sites to examine the association between BP at age 7 years and CVD mortality.

The researchers found that at baseline, the mean BP was 101.9/61.2 mm Hg among 37,081 children. About 21 percent of the children were classified as having hypertension. There were 487 cardiovascular and 2,242 noncardiovascular deaths during a median follow-up through age 54 years. A one-standard deviation higher systolic BP and diastolic BP at age 7 years was significantly associated with premature CVD mortality (adjusted hazard ratios, 1.14 and 1.18, respectively). In the fixed-effects sibling analysis, findings were consistent in magnitude and direction (adjusted hazard ratios, 1.14 and 1.18, respectively). Greater risks for CVD mortality were seen in association with elevated BP and hypertension at age 7 years (adjusted hazard ratios, 1.48 and 1.40, respectively).

“Even in childhood, blood pressure numbers are important because high blood pressure in children can have serious consequences throughout their lives,” Freedman said in a statement. “It is crucial to be aware of your child”s blood pressure readings.”

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