Pressure to succeed in school may by contributing to an increase in high blood pressure and obesity in teenagers.
Research into high blood pressure and quality of life by the University of Göttingen Medical Centre showed that pressure to succeed in school doubled the rate of high blood pressure in teenagers.
Their study of 7,688 boys and girls ages 11 to 17 found that 10.7 percent had high blood pressure – which is twice the number expected.
High blood pressure is a leading cause of death worldwide, with World Health Organisation statistics showing it accounts for nearly two thirds of strokes and half of all heart disease.
Unsurprisingly, the teenagers with hypertension were more likely to be obese, and spent more time watching TV or playing video games than those with normal blood pressure.
But unexpectedly, those with high blood pressure were often more academically successful than those with normal blood pressure.
The researchers say the data supports the emotional repression theory of hypertension, which underpins the Hypnotension approach to lowering blood pressure naturally.
The sad fact is that in our current cultural and economic climate, teenagers feel an immense pressure to succeed at school.
And whilst stress can be a powerful motivator, it also affects blood pressure – both directly, as well as encouraging obesity through emotional eating.
This research strongly suggests that the pressures of school have driven the most successful students at the expense of their health, and the researchers confirm that repression of emotions may lead people to rate their quality of life higher and at the same time lead to higher blood pressure.
At Hypnotension, we help people deal with the emotional and lifestyle factors underpinning high blood pressure so they can lower their blood pressure naturally.
