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Teenage Hypertension: The silent threat to Ghana’s young generation

For many Ghanaian teenagers, high blood pressure may seem like a health problem for their parents and grandparents. But as unhealthy eating habits, excess weight and increasingly sedentary lifestyles become concerns for younger populations, protecting heart health during adolescence deserves greater attention.

The danger is that hypertension can develop without obvious symptoms. A teenager may feel perfectly healthy while elevated blood pressure goes undetected, potentially delaying medical assessment and appropriate care.

Although not every teenager with unhealthy habits will develop hypertension, early awareness, healthy lifestyle choices and appropriate blood pressure checks can help reduce future cardiovascular risks.

A growing concern

Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is a major public health concern worldwide. The World Health Organisation identifies it as an important contributor to premature death, largely because it increases the risk of serious cardiovascular complications.

While the condition is often associated with adulthood, the factors that contribute to its development can begin much earlier in life.

Frequent consumption of foods high in salt, poor dietary habits, excess body weight and insufficient physical activity can undermine cardiovascular health. Family history and certain underlying medical conditions may also increase an individual’s risk.

For teenagers, therefore, the conversation about hypertension should extend beyond hospital visits and include the everyday habits that shape their health.

When lifestyle choices become a concern

Adolescence is a period when young people begin making more independent decisions about what they eat, how they spend their leisure time and how physically active they are.

Convenience foods, processed meals, salty snacks and sugary drinks may become regular features of their diets. At the same time, long hours spent on mobile phones, computers and other digital devices can leave less time for physical activity.

Academic demands and inadequate sleep may further affect their general well-being.

These habits do not automatically lead to hypertension. However, when unhealthy diets and physical inactivity contribute to excess weight, they can increase the risk of high blood pressure, particularly among people with other predisposing factors.

Recognising these risks early offers families, schools and health professionals an opportunity to encourage healthier choices before unhealthy patterns become established.

What Ghana’s cardiovascular health figures reveal

A cardiologist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Medical School, Professor Alfred Doku, in an interview highlighted the seriousness of cardiovascular disease in Ghana, citing figures indicating that it accounted for approximately 43 to 50 per cent of deaths in the country.

He also stated that about 30 per cent of Ghanaian adults had hypertension, with approximately 70 per cent of those affected unaware of their condition.

Although these figures concern adults and the wider population rather than teenagers specifically, they point to the importance of improving awareness, screening and early detection of high blood pressure.

Professor Doku urged people to know their blood pressure readings and monitor other important health indicators, including blood sugar, cholesterol levels and body weight.

His advice underscores the importance of understanding personal health risks rather than waiting for illness to become apparent before seeking medical attention.

For adolescents, any blood pressure reading that raises concern should be assessed by a qualified health professional. Because blood pressure varies with age, growth and other factors, its interpretation in children and teenagers requires appropriate clinical assessment.

The danger of a condition without obvious symptoms

The Head of the National Cardiothoracic Centre, Dr Kow Entsua-Mensah, also stressed the importance of awareness and early detection in addressing cardiovascular disease.

He explained that hypertension could remain undetected for years because affected individuals might not experience noticeable symptoms.

Dr Entsua-Mensah noted that several factors, including diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, tobacco use and harmful alcohol consumption, could contribute to cardiovascular damage over time.

He called for greater public awareness of the importance of checking blood pressure and other health indicators before complications develop.

The challenge with hypertension is that the absence of symptoms can create a false sense of security. People may assume they are healthy simply because they feel well, overlooking the need for preventive health checks.

Dr Entsua-Mensah emphasised that addressing cardiovascular disease required cooperation among healthcare professionals, government institutions, schools, businesses, community organisations and the media.

Such collaboration is particularly important for young people, whose health habits are influenced by their homes, schools, peer groups and the wider environment.

Small habits, lasting benefits

Professor Doku said many cases of heart disease and stroke could be prevented or their risks reduced through appropriate lifestyle changes and effective management of contributing factors.

He encouraged young people to reduce their salt intake, eat balanced meals, exercise regularly and avoid smoking.

Describing hypertension as a silent threat, he warned that people should not wait for symptoms before taking their blood pressure seriously.

Hypertension, he stressed, could have serious consequences, including heart failure and stroke, when left undetected or inadequately managed.

For teenagers, protecting heart health does not necessarily require complicated routines. It begins with practical, everyday decisions: eating a balanced diet, choosing foods with less salt, participating in regular physical activity and getting adequate sleep.

Avoiding tobacco products and maintaining a healthy weight are also important steps towards reducing cardiovascular risks.

Young people who are diagnosed with hypertension should follow the advice of their healthcare providers and take prescribed medication as directed. Lifestyle changes can support treatment, but they should not replace medication when it is medically necessary.

Parents have an important role to play by encouraging healthy eating and physical activity at home. Schools can contribute by providing opportunities for exercise, promoting health education and making nutritious food choices more accessible to students.

Healthcare professionals, meanwhile, can help identify young people who may be at risk, assess abnormal readings and guide families on appropriate follow-up care.

Protecting the next generation

Addressing hypertension among young people requires more than individual effort. It calls for a coordinated response involving families, schools, healthcare providers, policymakers and the media.

Public education should challenge the perception that high blood pressure is exclusively an older person’s condition. Teenagers need accurate information about cardiovascular health, the factors that increase their risk and the importance of seeking professional advice when necessary.

Appropriate screening and follow-up care can also help identify elevated blood pressure and ensure that young people who need medical attention receive it.

However, the extent of hypertension among Ghanaian teenagers should not be inferred from statistics relating to adults. Reliable, age-specific national data are needed to establish the scale of the problem and guide targeted interventions.

That evidence gap makes it important to approach the subject with both urgency and accuracy: raising awareness of the risks without exaggerating what is known about their prevalence among adolescents.

For Ghana’s young generation, the message is clear. Feeling healthy does not always mean that blood pressure is normal, and good cardiovascular health should not be left until adulthood.

By encouraging healthier habits, improving access to appropriate health checks and making reliable information available to young people, Ghana can take meaningful steps towards protecting the heart health of its next generation.

By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu

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