Research presented at the American Heart Association's Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2025 reveals that children with higher blood pressure at age 7 are at a significantly increased risk of early cardiovascular death by their mid-50s, especially those in the top 10% of measurements.

Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure elevations in childhood are linked to increased long-term cardiovascular risk, with even moderate elevations raising the risk by 13% to 18%.

Children with blood pressure in the 90-94th percentile and above the 95th percentile face a 40% to 50% higher risk of early cardiovascular death in adulthood.

The study tracked approximately 38,000 children from the Collaborative Perinatal Project, with blood pressure measurements at age 7 and follow-up through 2016, when participants reached an average age of 54.

Sibling analysis showed that children with higher blood pressure had similar increased risks of cardiovascular death compared to their siblings, indicating that familial and early environmental factors do not fully explain the association.

The findings underscore the importance of regular blood pressure screening in children and early intervention to promote heart-healthy habits, which could reduce long-term cardiovascular risk.

These results support guidelines recommending blood pressure monitoring starting at age 3 to identify at-risk children early.

Limitations of the study include reliance on a single blood pressure measurement at age 7 and a primarily Black and white participant demographic from the 1960s-1970s, which may affect the applicability of the findings.