A new study conducted by CoEHAR in collaboration with “Kore” University of Enna, published in High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular Prevention, highlights the growing importance of early cardiovascular prevention in adolescents. The school-based study, involving 1,301 adolescents aged 13–18 years from Western Sicily, found that 7.5% of participants—approximately one in every thirteen students—already had elevated blood pressure according to the 2016 European Society of Hypertension (ESH) criteria, suggesting that cardiovascular prevention in young people should address not only smoking but also blood pressure, excess weight and other modifiable cardiometabolic risk factors.
The researchers found that adolescents with elevated blood pressure consistently presented a less favourable cardiometabolic profile than their peers. They had higher body weight, higher body mass index (BMI), a greater prevalence of overweight and obesity.
These findings indicate that elevated blood pressure is rarely an isolated condition during adolescence but rather part of an early cluster of cardiometabolic risk factors.
Prevention Should Begin Before Adulthood
Evidence from previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses has shown that elevated blood pressure during childhood and adolescence is associated with cardiovascular damage and a higher risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes later in life. The authors therefore emphasize that routine blood pressure assessment should become an integral part of adolescent health programmes, alongside initiatives promoting healthy eating, regular physical activity, weight management and smoking prevention.
Looking Beyond Smoking Alone
Smoking prevention remains a cornerstone of public health, particularly during adolescence, when most smokers begin using tobacco.
However, the study suggests that future cardiovascular prevention programmes should also give greater attention to other modifiable risk factors, including hypertension, obesity, sedentary behaviour and metabolic dysfunction. Identifying these conditions early may provide an opportunity to reduce long-term cardiovascular risk before permanent vascular damage develops.
“Preventing adolescents from starting to smoke remains essential, but it is only one part of the cardiovascular prevention agenda,” said Professor Riccardo Polosa, founder of CoEHAR. “We must also routinely measure blood pressure, tackle excess weight, promote physical activity and intervene early. The cardiovascular health of tomorrow’s adults depends on the preventive actions we take today.”
The findings reinforce the importance of school-based screening programmes and support a more comprehensive approach to adolescent cardiovascular health, combining tobacco prevention with early identification and management of cardiometabolic risk factors.
Reference
Carollo C, Peritore L, Sorce A, Cirafici E, Bennici M, Tortorici L, Polosa R, Mulè G, Geraci G. Prevalence of Hypertension in Adolescents: Differences Between 2016 ESH and 2017 AAP Guidelines. J Clin Med. 2025 Mar 12;14(6):1911. doi: 10.3390/jcm14061911
