New research from the American Heart Association (AHA) suggests that parents might want to keep a closer eye on their kids’ blood pressure.

About one in seven (14%) of children and teens in the U.S. have high blood pressure or are headed toward it, according to the preliminary findings.

Nearly half of U.S. adults have the condition, according to the AHA, which can raise the risk of heart attack, stroke and other events due to damaged arteries and plaque buildup.

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Lead researcher Dr. Ahlia Sekkarie and her team analyzed the blood pressure and BMI (body mass index) of 2,600 children and teens between the ages of 8 and 19, obtained from the 2017 to 2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data.

The researchers found that 8.7% of youths had elevated blood pressure (systolic pressure between 120 and 19 and diastolic pressure less than 80) and 5.4% had high blood pressure, or hypertension (systolic pressure between 130 and 139 or diastolic pressure between 80 and 89).

Blood pressure measurements were higher among boys compared to girls and continued to rise with age.

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Those with severe obesity were found to have a greater prevalence of high blood pressure, while Hispanic youths had the lowest rate of elevated blood pressure.

This research is considered preliminary until full results have been published in a peer-reviewed journal, the release noted.

Sekkarie, an epidemiologist in the division for heart disease and stroke prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, confirmed in a press release that hypertension can begin in childhood and is a “risk factor for heart disease and stroke.”

“It’s important to monitor blood pressure in youth, because young people with heart disease and stroke risk factors are more likely to have cardiovascular disease as adults,” she warned. 

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“Childhood is a great time to learn healthy habits to reduce these risks.”

Although the research did not investigate the reason why pediatric hypertension rates are high, Sekkarie suggested that obesity could be a major risk factor, as one in five children in the U.S. is affected.

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High blood pressure can be managed or prevented through maintaining a healthy weight and eating a nutritious diet that’s high in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fats, according to the AHA.

The experts also recommended limiting sodium and alcohol, not smoking and staying physically active as a means of regulating blood pressure.

Dr. Bradley Serwer, a cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, a Cincinnati-based company that offers cardiovascular and anesthesiology services to hospitals nationwide, told Fox News Digital that this study highlights the importance of starting screening at an early age.

“Young people with heart disease and stroke risk factors are more likely to have cardiovascular disease as adults.”

“Knowing your blood pressure and cholesterol is always important,” Serwer, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital. 

“If borderline blood pressure or high blood pressure is noted, the first-line therapy is always to assess the individual’s diet and make changes to lower the sodium intake.”

Serwer added, “If there are questions regarding medication, I always recommend deferring to a pediatrician or pediatric cardiologist.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the study researchers for comment.