Obesity taking toll on teens

BANGALORE: Fifteen-year-old Siddharth who weighs nearly 85 kgs visited the doctors with complaints of breathlessness, frequent headache and sleep disorder. On being examined, he was diagnosed with hypertension which resulted from childhood obesity.In another case, Priya, 17, suffered blockages in renal arteries which led to uncontrolled hypertension.The secondary hypertension which resulted from blockage, however, was controlled after angioplasty and stent treatment.On World Hypertension Day on May 17, city doctors maintain that this non-communicable disease is not only affecting the elders, but also the young population due to the changing lifestyle.Childhood and adolescent obesity has become common cause of hypertension.Speaking about the prevalence of hypertension cases, Dr C N Manjunath, director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research said, “Nearly 25 per cent of affected people are below 50 years and 45 per cent after 55 years. While in 90 to 95 per cent of the cases there is no definite cause for hypertension which is also known as unexplained hypertension. Five to ten per cent of the patients have definite cause such as renal or cardiac disorders.”Hypertension is the pressure of blood on the walls of the blood vessels as the heart expands and contracts.When the pressure on the walls remains high for a long time, it is hypertension.