Abd Alsamad Yasser Amer, Jaffal Bessan Musa Saleh, Shuhait Khaleel Rajaee Ibrahim, Alzaabi Reem Khudoum Khamis Khudoum, Lataifeh Sari Mohammad Mahmoud, Sadia Tahsina Tajnin, Hussein Amal, Elmoselhi Adel B
Basic Medical Sciences department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE.
Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE.
J Hum Hypertens. 2025 Apr 3. doi: 10.1038/s41371-025-01015-7.
Hypertension, often referred to as a "silent killer," due to its lack of obvious symptoms but can lead to devastating complications such as cardiovascular disease and stroke, particularly when left unmanaged. This highlights the importance of early screening of elevated blood pressure. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of elevated blood pressure (prehypertension) and hypertension among undergraduate university students, along with the associated risk factors. We recruited 344 randomly selected undergraduate students for a cross-sectional study. Blood pressure (BP) measurements were taken following best practice guidelines. In addition, body mass index (BMI) was measured, while other risk factors were collected through a questionnaire. Out of all participants, 36% exhibited elevated blood pressure, with the following breakdown: 15% (n = 51) had prehypertension, 18% (n = 62) had stage 1 hypertension, and 3% (n = 10) had stage 2 hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension was significantly higher among male students (52.7 and 100%, respectively) compared to female students (47.3, and 0% respectively). Significant correlations were found between blood pressure, BMI, and physical activity levels (P ≤ 0.001 and P ≤ 0.011, respectively). Our findings reveal a concerning prevalence of prehypertension and, to a greater extent, hypertension among undergraduate university students. Elevated blood pressure levels were strongly correlated with male gender, BMI, and physical activity levels. These results warrant further large-scale investigation and underscore the urgent need to raise awareness about this significant health risk in the younger population.
高血压常被称为“无声杀手”，因为它缺乏明显症状，但却会导致诸如心血管疾病和中风等毁灭性并发症，尤其是在未得到控制的情况下。这凸显了早期筛查血压升高的重要性。本研究的目的是确定大学生中血压升高（高血压前期）和高血压的患病率以及相关危险因素。我们随机招募了344名本科生进行横断面研究。按照最佳实践指南测量血压（BP）。此外，测量了体重指数（BMI），同时通过问卷调查收集其他危险因素。在所有参与者中，36%的人血压升高，具体情况如下：15%（n = 51）患有高血压前期，18%（n = 62）患有1期高血压，3%（n = 10）患有2期高血压。与女生（分别为47.3%和0%）相比，男生中高血压和高血压前期的患病率显著更高（分别为52.7%和100%）。发现血压、BMI和身体活动水平之间存在显著相关性（P分别≤0.001和P≤0.011）。我们的研究结果显示，大学生中高血压前期以及在更大程度上高血压的患病率令人担忧。血压升高与男性性别、BMI和身体活动水平密切相关。这些结果值得进一步大规模调查，并强调迫切需要提高年轻人群对这一重大健康风险的认识。
