A cross-sectional study of prehypertension among young adults residing in an urban area of South India

Background: Early warning signs of prehypertension indicate a higher likelihood of developing hypertension later in life. Prehypertension was given a new classification in the Seventh Joint National Committee-7 report that distinguished it from hypertension that had already developed. Prehypertensive people were those with systolic blood pressure between 120-139 mmHg or diastolic between 80 and 89 mmHg. Objectives: The objective of this study is to study the prevalence of prehypertension and the factors associated with it. Materials and Methods: The current cross-sectional study was done in an urban field practice area of a medical college with a study population ranging from 20 to 40 years. The sample size was 420. The systematic random sampling method was used to select the subjects. Anthropometric measurements such as weight, height, waist, and hip circumference were recorded. Body mass index was categorized according to the South East Asian region (WHO). The institutional ethical board accepted the study protocol. Results: About 51.6% of people had prehypertension. Prehypertension was most common in people between the ages of 35 and 40 (35.4%). Prehypertension was more common in males and was highest in class IV socioeconomic status (37.3%). When compared to sedentary employees, moderate workers have a higher frequency of prehypertension (68.6%). Conclusion: Our study shows that prehypertension is becoming more common among young individuals in the age range of 20–40 years (51.6%), indicating that it is not an age-related condition.