Study: A lack of sleep can lead to adolescents with high blood pressure

An initial study, reviewed by the scientific sessions of the American Heart Association for 2025, has shown that adolescents who do not get enough sleep will be more likely to risk high blood pressure. The study was conducted on more than 400 teenagers and revealed that those who slept less than 7.7 hours in the laboratory were three times more likely to develop high blood pressure, compared to their peers that had enough sleep. I also found that teenagers who suffered from insomnia and slept less than 7.7 hours were five times more likely to develop hypertension. The study was conducted on a variety (54% male and 46% women) with an average age of 16.5 years from 3 different regions in the US state Pennsylvania, and the researchers collected data through self -questions, a sleep study in the laboratory and blood pressure measurements. A lack of sleep and blood pressure The results showed that adolescents who reported thinner and slept less than 7.7 hours in the laboratory were five times more likely to develop clinical blood pressure, compared to those who got enough sleep. Adolescents who slept less than 7.7 hours without reporting the thinnest were three times more prone to high blood pressure. On the other hand, adolescents who were informed about the thinner, but they got enough sleep (7.7 hours or longer), did not show an increase in the risk of high blood pressure or second degree hypertension. These results indicate that the combination of insomnia and lack of sleep can lead to more serious health conditions, compared to a lack of sleep on its own. Sleep and heart disease, the lead author of the study, Julio Fernandez-Mindoza, says: “Sleeping quality is important for heart health, and it is not necessary to wait until puberty to address this issue.” He added that monitoring the duration of sleep can help objectively identify adolescents who suffer from more severe forms of insomnia, and that they are vulnerable to heart disease. The researchers emphasized the importance of improving sleep habits in adolescents to prevent heart disease in the future. Recommendations include creating a comfortable routine, reducing the use of electronic devices before going to bed, avoiding heavy and caffeine meals in the evening, and practicing daily physical activity. A major risk and according to the Update of the American Heart Association for the year 2025, insufficient sleep is a major risk for cardiovascular disease, causing more deaths of all types of cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. Adolescents need between 8 and 10 hours of sleep every night, but on average, students only sleep 6.5 hours a night. The author of the study who participated in the study says Brock Agawwal, an assistant professor of medical science at the University of Columbia, says that the prevention of heart disease begins to take on a healthy and adolescent healthy lifestyle, including adequate sleep with healthy sleeping pattern during adolescence, can continue to puberty. She explained that sleep problems that occur during adolescence “tend to continue over time, and this can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases in later stages of life.” The researchers note that one of the study restrictions is that it was performed in a sleeping laboratory, which can affect the quality of the participants’ sleep compared to sleep at home. In addition, the data was collected before the pandemic of the new corona, which left an area to ask if the rate of insomnia and anxiety in adolescents has since increased. The study highlights the importance of listening to adolescent complaints about sleep disorders and evaluating their objective quality to prevent heart problems early.